First Western-Owned Ship Clears Strait of Hormuz

A single container ship may be testing whether Europe can inch back into one of the world's most sensitive waterways. The Kribi, a Maltese-flagged vessel owned by French shipping giant CMA CGM, has passed out of the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz—apparently the first ship linked to Western Europe to do so since US and Israeli strikes on Iran largely froze traffic more than a month ago, Bloomberg reports. Ship-tracking data show the Kribi hugging Iran's coastline and slipping between the islands of Qeshm and Larak before signaling its position off Muscat on Friday. Most vessels that have passed through the strait have ties to Iran.

Iran has been informally vetting ships and steering them along a near-shore corridor; most recent crossings have involved countries such as Pakistan, which secured passage for 20 vessels under its flag. France and other European governments are only beginning diplomatic efforts aimed at easing the standoff, with President Emmanuel Macron saying France will focus on stabilizing Hormuz "once the bombardments have ceased." Meanwhile, Iran is moving to formalize tolls on the strait, worrying Gulf exporters and energy buyers. CMA CGM said 14 of its ships remain stuck in the Gulf. As of early Friday, the Kribi was off Muscat, Oman. It was broadcasting "owner France" on its transponder system in the field where it usually provides the destination, per France24.