A French container ship and a Japanese-owned liquefied natural gas tanker have successfully navigated the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first known passage by vessels linked to Western-aligned nations since the outbreak of war involving Iran over a month ago. The CMA CGM Kribi, operated by French shipping giant CMA CGM, exited the strait on Friday, according to maritime tracking data reviewed by Bloomberg and confirmed by two sources with knowledge of the movements. On the same day, Mitsui OSK Lines of Japan confirmed that the LNG tanker it co-owns had also transited the waterway. These crossings break a prolonged standstill in one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, where shipping traffic has nearly ceased following military strikes by the US and Israel on Iran.
Prior to this week, only vessels from countries perceived as friendly to Iran had been allowed through, typically after receiving advance approval and following a narrow route close to Iran's coastline. The successful passage of the French and Japanese ships suggests a potential shift in access, though it remains unclear whether diplomatic efforts by Paris and Tokyo played a role or if private negotiations by shipping firms enabled the move. France and Japan both issued calls for a ceasefire earlier in the week. French President Emmanuel Macron stated that reopening the strait depends on the cessation of bombing, emphasizing that maritime flow cannot resume amid active conflict.
The crossings could signal tentative progress toward restoring global energy and trade routes, but no official confirmation has been provided on whether further transits are planned or guaranteed.
When Macron insists the Strait of Hormuz can only reopen after the bombing stops, he is not just stating a condition — he is exposing Europe's helplessness in the face of disrupted energy flows. The fact that it took a French and a Japanese ship over a month to cross shows how deeply military conflict has paralyzed global trade routes. This isn't just about one waterway; it's about how fragile supply chains become when superpowers treat chokepoints as bargaining chips. The world's dependence on volatile corridors just got more expensive — and no amount of corporate negotiation can fix that without political resolution.
