French ship crosses Strait of Hormuz

A container ship belonging to French shipping group CMA CGM has passed through the Strait of Hormuz, according to data from vessel-tracking company MarineTraffic. The move has fuelled speculation that Iran does not regard France as a hostile state.

The Maltese-flagged Kribi crossed the strait on 2 April and is the first French-owned vessel to do so since US-Israeli strikes on Iran began in late February.

It was not immediately clear how the ship, reportedly sailing south along the Omani coast, secured safe passage. However, LSEG shipping data showed the vessel changed its destination to ‘Owner France’ on Thursday, signalling its owner’s nationality to Iranian authorities before entering Iranian territorial waters in the strait.

The ship was originally bound for Pointe-Noire in the Republic of the Congo.

CMA CGM did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The French Foreign Ministry declined to comment.

(reuters, max)