Omani, French, and Japanese Vessels Navigate the Strait of Hormuz

It remains unclear how the vessel, currently tracked sailing south along the Omani coast, managed to secure a safe passage.

A noteworthy event occurred as a French container ship, alongside three Oman-linked tankers and a Japanese-owned gas carrier, navigated through the Strait of Hormuz. This transit marks a pivotal moment, particularly as some vessels are managing to traverse the contentious waterway.

The container ship from French shipping giant CMA CGM is notably the first Western vessel confirmed to have successfully crossed the strait since Iran effectively closed it. Tracking data from Marine Traffic indicates the crossing occurred on April 2.

The Malta-flagged Kribi, owned by CMA CGM, made the journey through the Strait. The methods by which the ship secured safe passage remain ambiguous.

No immediate statements have been provided by CMA CGM regarding the voyage.

Interestingly, shipping data from LSEG revealed that the vessel updated its destination to “Owner France” prior to crossing Iranian territorial waters, potentially signaling its ownership to Iranian authorities.

The vessels appear to have deactivated their AIS transponders during the crossing, which resulted in their signals disappearing from vessel-tracking systems.

Additionally, two very large crude carriers and an LNG tanker operated by Oman Shipping Management exited the Gulf on the same day, per data from MarineTraffic and LSEG.

In another significant development, Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines confirmed that the LNG tanker, Sohar LNG, which it co-owns, successfully crossed the strait, marking it as the first Japan-linked vessel and the first LNG carrier to do so since the conflict commenced on February 28.

According to Lloyd’s List Intelligence, only around 150 vessels, encompassing both tankers and container ships, have made the voyage through the strait since March 1. Most of these vessels are connected to Iran, as well as countries like China, India, and Pakistan.

Notably, Beijing expressed its appreciation earlier this week following the safe passage of three of its vessels, including two container ships owned by state-operated shipping giant Cosco.

Energy Crisis

The war has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, which traditionally serves as a route for approximately one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. This disruption has led to a rapid increase in fuel prices around the world.

In a related statement, US President Donald Trump asserted on Wednesday that petrol prices would decline swiftly after the conclusion of the war but did not present solutions for reopening the Strait. He encouraged skeptical US allies to take action themselves, claiming the war would be justified.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron remarked that initiating a military operation to reopen the strait would be impractical, highlighting the importance of diplomatic negotiations instead.

Macron is actively collaborating with European and other allies to form a coalition aimed at ensuring free passage through the strait once hostilities cease.

In an opinion piece for the US journal Foreign Affairs, Iran’s former foreign minister indicated that Tehran should negotiate with the United States to conclude the war by offering to limit its nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for sanctions relief.

He suggested that Iran could “declare victory and reach an agreement that not only ends this conflict but also prevents future ones”, said Mohammad Javad Zarif, who served as foreign minister from 2013 to 2021.