A French-owned container ship safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz Friday, tracking data shows — possibly the first vessel with ties to Western Europe to travel through the critical waterway since Iran put it in a chokehold.
The Kribi vessel, which is operated by French shipping company CMA CGM and was sailing under a Malta flag, had set off from Dubai on Thursday, according to the MarineTraffic vessel tracking website.
By Friday, the ship had crossed through the channel and was sailing south along the coast of Oman, per the data.
The passage marks the first time a French-owned vessel is believed to have made it through the Strait — the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil usually passes — since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran began at the end of February.
The Kribi vessel, which is operated by French shipping company CMA CGM and was sailing under a Malta flag, safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz Friday, tracking data shows. AFP via Getty Images Immediately after war broke out, the Islamic Republic effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz — leaving more than 2,000 ships stranded in the waters that once saw some 130 vessels a day.
Traffic through the strait has dropped by about 90% since then, with just 150 vessels — including tankers and container ships — making the passage since March 1, according to data firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence.
Most of those ships have been linked to Iran and the likes of China, India and Pakistan.
It wasn’t immediately clear how the French-owned vessel secured safe passage.
The vessel started passing through the tumultuous waters on the same day French President Emmanuel Macron said it would be unrealistic to launch a military operation to open the Strait.
Macron’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on whether his government had brokered the ships’ passage.
But following a summit with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Friday, Macron announced the two countries had agreed to work together to help reopen the Strait and stabilize the situation in the Middle East.
He didn’t elaborate on how they planned to help reopen the waterway.
Meanwhile, President Trump insisted the US could open the Strait with a little more time — as slammed allies for not supporting the war against Iran.
“With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL,& MAKE A FORTUNE,” he said in a post on Truth Social on Friday.
The president earlier this week had called on US allies to “step up” in helping to reopen the strait.
“The countries of the world that do receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage,” Trump said. “We will be helpful, but they should take the lead in protecting the oil that they so desperately depend on.”
“I have a suggestion. Number one, buy oil from the United States of America. We have plenty. We have so much. And number two, build up some delayed courage … go to the strait and just take it.”
