French vessel crosses Strait of Hormuz in first transit since war began

Shafaq News- Baghdad

A container ship owned by French shipping group CMA CGM crossed the Strait of Hormuz on April 2, becoming the first French-owned vessel to transit the channel since US-Israeli strikes on Iran began in late February, according to MarineTraffic vessel tracking data.

The Malta-flagged Kribi changed its Automatic Identification System destination to "Owner France" before entering Iranian territorial waters in the Strait, signaling its ownership nationality to Iranian authorities, according to LSEG shipping data. Ships have previously used similar tactics to assert neutrality when transiting conflict zones, with several Chinese vessels that have passed through the Strait also broadcasting their ownership identity in the same manner.

The Kribi had originally been bound for Pointe-Noire in the Republic of the Congo.

Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron said a military operation to reopen the Strait would be unrealistic, arguing that only diplomatic engagement with Tehran could achieve that outcome. Macron has been working with European and other allies to build a coalition aimed at guaranteeing free passage through the waterway once hostilities end.

The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, served as the transit route for approximately 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before the current conflict led to its effective closure.