Dubai: In a significant development, a French-owned container ship has navigated out of the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first confirmed transit by a Western European vessel since the Iran–US–Israel conflict shut down most commercial traffic through this vital global waterway.
According to Bloomberg ship-tracking data, the CMA CGM Kribi — a Maltese-flagged vessel owned by France’s CMA CGM SA, the world’s third-largest container line — departed waters off Dubai toward Iran on Thursday afternoon local time. The ship followed a path close to the Iranian coast via the channel between Qeshm and Larak islands, openly broadcasting its position. It reached off Muscat in Oman, by Friday morning, the Mint reported.
CMA CGM SA is majority-owned by the Saadé family; its founder, a Lebanese immigrant, launched the Marseille-based firm in 1978 with a single leased vessel. Both the company and France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment.
Bloomberg also reported that three tankers signaling Omani ownership ventured into the strait eastward on Thursday, opting for a safer route along Oman’s coastline rather than crossing into Iranian waters. Satellite tracking identified two oil supertankers and one liquefied natural gas carrier, all managed by Oman Ship Management Company according to the Equasis marine database. The company could not be reached for comment.
Since US and Israeli strikes targeted Iran on February 28, Tehran has imposed stringent control over the Strait of Hormuz, slashing traffic to near zero in a waterway that typically carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas.
Iran allows limited passages for pre-approved vessels from friendly nations via specific coastal routes, while issuing stark threats to strike any ships affiliated with the US or Israel. France and other US allies have initiated preliminary diplomatic outreach to defuse the standoff, but no advancements have been announced.
