It was not immediately clear how the vessel, which Marine Traffic tracking data shows is sailing south along the coast of Oman, secured safe passage.By AFP, AP and ReutersPublished On 3 Apr 20263 Apr 2026A container ship belonging to French shipping giant CMA CGM has crossed through the Strait of Hormuz, the first such passage by a Western vessel since Iran effectively closed the waterway, the Marine Traffic vessel website shows.The Malta-flagged Kribi, owned by CMA CGM, crossed the Strait on April 2 and is the first French-owned vessel to make it through the channel since the US-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listIt was not immediately clear how the vessel, which the data shows is sailing south along the coast of Oman, secured safe passage.There was no immediate comment from CMA CGM.However, LSEG shipping data showed the vessel on Thursday changed its destination to “Owner France”, signalling to Iranian authorities the nationality of its owner, before crossing the strait’s Iranian territorial waters. [Al Jazeera]The ship had originally been bound for Pointe-Noire in the Republic of the Congo.Only about 150 vessels, including tankers and container ships, have transited the strait since March 1, according to data firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence. Most were linked to Iran and countries including China, India and Pakistan.Beijing expressed “gratitude” on Tuesday after three of its ships passed through the strait, including two container ships on Monday belonging to state-owned shipping giant Cosco.Energy crisisUntil the war led to the effective blocking of the Strait, it was the route for about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. As a result, fuel prices have skyrocketed worldwide. Advertisement On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump insisted that petrol prices would fall quickly once the war concluded, but offered no solution for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, he invited sceptical US allies to do it themselves. He insisted that the war would be worth it.French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday it would be unrea …
