French-owned container ship exits Hormuz in first since Iran war

## Summary
French-owned container ship exits Hormuz in first since Iran war Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The vessel stuck close to the Iranian coast, moving through a channel between the islands of Qeshm and Larak. PHOTO: REUTERS Published Apr 03, 2026, 04:29 PM Updated Apr 03, 2026, 04:29 PM DUBAI - A container ship signalling French ownership has exited the Strait of Hormuz, in what appears to be the first known transit by a vessel linked to Western Europe since the war all but shuttered the vital waterway. It is smaller than the near-19,000 TEU ships from China’s state-owned Cosco Shipping that recently exited the Persian Gulf via Hormuz. BLOOMBERG More on this topic Secret codes and renminbi fees get ships through Iran’s Hormuz tollbooth Zelensky offers Ukraine’s maritime expertise with Strait of Hormuz See more on France Iran war Maritime and shipping

## Article Content
French-owned container ship exits Hormuz in first since Iran war
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The vessel stuck close to the Iranian coast, moving through a channel between the islands of Qeshm and Larak.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Published
Apr 03, 2026, 04:29 PM
Updated
Apr 03, 2026, 04:29 PM
DUBAI - A container ship signalling French ownership has exited the Strait of Hormuz, in what appears to be the first known transit by a vessel linked to Western Europe since the war all but shuttered the vital waterway.
The CMA CGM Kribi sailed from waters off Dubai toward Iran on the afternoon of April 2 local time, signalling that its owner was French, according to ship-tracking data. It stuck close to the Iranian coast, moving through a channel between the islands of Qeshm and Larak, openly broadcasting its journey.
On the morning of April 3, it signalled that it was off Muscat. Two people familiar with the situation also said the ship had crossed.
Iran has tightened its grip over Hormuz since the US and Israel attacked the country on Feb 28, reducing shipping to a trickle through a chokepoint that normally handles about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas.
Tehran has allowed some ships from friendly nations to transit a pre-approved route while threatening to strike vessels allied to the US or Israel. US allies including France are making initial diplomatic efforts to ease the crisis, but so far no progress has been reported.
The Maltese-flagged vessel belongs to CMA CGM SA, the world’s third-largest container line, which is majority-owned by the billionaire Saade family. The founder immigrated to France from war-torn Lebanon and started the line in 1978, in Marseille, with one leased vessel.
The company and the French ministry of foreign affairs declined to comment. France’s ministry of finance did not respond to a request for comment.
Tracking ships entering and exiting Hormuz is not an exact science and has been complicated by the intense signal jamming in the area, as well as spoofing of signals.
Three other ships also appeared to have exited the Gulf through the strait on April 3, but further south along the coastline of Oman while broadcasting Omani ownership.
The CMA CGM Kribi can carry about 5,000 twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, and draft readings show it’s sitting low in the water, indicating that it is filled with cargo. It is smaller than the near-19,000 TEU ships from China’s state-owned Cosco Shipping that recently exited the Persian Gulf via Hormuz.
Both companies are key members of a container-shipping alliance – an agreement that allows them to share routes and space on vessels. BLOOMBERG
More on this topic
Secret codes and renminbi fees get ships through Iran’s Hormuz tollbooth
Zelensky offers Ukraine’s maritime expertise with Strait of Hormuz
See more on
France
Iran war
Maritime and shipping

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- US allies including France are making initial diplomatic efforts to ease the crisis, but so far no progress has been reported.

### Areas for Consideration
N/A

### Implications
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### Expert Commentary
This article covers hormuz, iran, ships topics. Notable strengths include discussion of hormuz. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 482.