Iran war: French and Japanese-owned ships make first Strait of Hormuz crossings

South China Morning Post Economic ImpactNews ReportEN 1 min read 100% complete by BloombergApril 3, 2026 at 06:32 PM

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Trump says US could charge for Strait of Hormuz passage amid Iran war

AI Summary

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A French container ship and a Japanese-owned tanker have made the first known crossings of the Strait of Hormuz by Western-linked vessels since the war in Iran effectively closed the waterway over a month ago. The CMA CGM Kribi container ship exited the strait on Friday, while Mitsui OSK Lines confirmed their LNG tanker also crossed. Since the US and Israel attacked Iran, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely limited, primarily to vessels associated with nations friendly to Tehran and pre-approved by Iran. The crossings by the French and Japanese ships signal a potential shift in the situation, although the reason for the change remains unclear. Both France and Japan have recently called for a ceasefire in the conflict.

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Key Claims (5)

AI-Extracted

Both France and Japan called for a ceasefire earlier this week.

factual100% confidence

The CMA CGM Kribi container ship exited the strait on Friday.

factual — Bloomberg, two people familiar with the situation100% confidence

A French container ship and a Japanese-owned tanker have crossed the Strait of Hormuz.

factual100% confidence

Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines confirmed that the liquefied natural gas tanker it part-owns also crossed.

factual — Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines100% confidence

Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has practically halted since the US and Israel attacked Iran.

factual90% confidence

Claims are automatically extracted and should be independently verified. Attribution indicates the stated source of the claim.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

CMA CGM Kribi 60% Mitsui OSK Lines 60% Emmanuel Macron 60% Israel 60% Japan ×270% France ×270% United States 70% Iran War ×280% Iran ×490% Strait of Hormuz ×4100%

Keywords

strait of hormuz 100% iran war 90% ship transit 80% french container ship 70% japanese-owned tanker 70% maritime traffic 60% us and israel 50% ceasefire 50% diplomacy 40%