A French-owned container ship has crossed the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since Iran effectively shut down the waterway at the start of the US-Israeli military campaign against it on February 28. The Malta-flagged Kribi, operated by French shipping giant CMA CGM, transited the strait on April 2 and is now sailing south along Oman's coast, according to Marine Traffic data. Prior to the crossing, LSEG shipping records showed the vessel updated its destination to "Owner France," a move widely interpreted as a signal to Iranian authorities about its ownership. The Kribi had originally been headed to Pointe-Noire in the Republic of the Congo. There has been no official comment from CMA CGM. Since March 1, only around 150 vessels have passed through the strait, mostly linked to Iran, China, India, and Pakistan. Beijing announced gratitude after three Chinese ships, including two container vessels from state-owned Cosco, successfully transited earlier in the week.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows, triggering sharp increases in fuel prices worldwide. US President Donald Trump claimed on Wednesday that petrol prices would drop quickly once the war ends, but offered no plan to reopen the strait, instead urging skeptical allies to take action. French President Emmanuel Macron dismissed the idea of a military operation to force open the passage, calling it unrealistic, and emphasized that only diplomacy could restore free movement. He is working with European and other partners to form a coalition aimed at securing safe transit once hostilities cease. In a separate development, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister from 2013 to 2021, wrote in Foreign Affairs that Tehran should negotiate an end to the war by offering to limit its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief, calling it an opportunity to "declare victory and make a deal that both ends this conflict and prevents the next one."
When Macron says a military push through the Strait of Hormuz is unrealistic, he is acknowledging that Western powers have no viable leverage against Iran's blockade—only diplomacy remains. The Kribi's successful passage, after signaling its French ownership, suggests Tehran is selectively allowing vessels through based on political calculations, not brute force. This isn't just about shipping lanes; it's proof that economic pressure and national identity now dictate who moves freely in critical global chokepoints. The world's dependence on such narrow passages has never been more exposed.
