A container vessel linked to French shipping major CMA CGM has successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first known passage by a Western Europe-associated ship since Iran sharply restricted traffic through the vital chokepoint.
The CMA CGM Kribi, a Maltese-flagged vessel operated by the Marseille-based group, sailed from waters off Dubai on Thursday, navigating close to Iran’s coastline. Ship-tracking data indicates it passed between Qeshm Island and Larak Island before emerging safely into the Gulf of Oman. By Friday morning, the vessel was reported near Muscat.
The transit comes amid ongoing geopolitical tensions following the US-Israel military campaign against Iran, which began on February 28 and led Tehran to impose severe restrictions on maritime movement through the strait. The waterway, which typically handles around 20% of global oil and LNG flows, has since seen traffic drop to near zero after multiple vessel incidents.
Iran has indicated that access remains selectively open to ships from countries it considers neutral or friendly, subject to strict routing approvals—suggesting the French-linked vessel may have benefited from this policy.
The development highlights widening divisions among Western powers over how to respond. Emmanuel Macron has firmly rejected calls from Donald Trump to use military force to reopen the strait, warning such action would be “unrealistic” and dangerously escalatory.
Macron reiterated that a military operation would expose vessels to threats from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and missile systems, while also taking significant time to execute. He emphasized that any resolution must come through diplomacy, not force.
The disagreement underscores a broader rift between France and the United States on handling the crisis, as efforts to de-escalate tensions and restore safe navigation continue without a clear breakthrough.
