In brief
A Malta-flagged container ship owned by the French company CMA CGM has become the first major Western European vessel to traverse the Strait of Hormuz amidst heightened geopolitical tensions. The ship's passage indicates potential easing of restrictions in the transport route that had been largely closed due to conflict in the region. While about 200 vessels were stranded following the conflict's escalation, analysts note that shipping activity is slowly resuming, albeit at reduced levels.
A French-owned ship has passed through the Strait of Hormuz, more than a month after the US-Israeli war with Iran effectively closed the vital transport route. The Malta-flagged container ship owned by French company CMA CGM crossed the Strait, media organisation BFM TV - which is owned by the shipping company - confirmed on Friday. CMA CGM declined to comment.It is the first ship owned by a major Western European firm to go through the strait since the conflict began, shipping analysts Kpler confirmed. While Iran has said 'non-hostile vessels' can use the waterway, the ongoing conflict - in which several ships have been attacked - has halted normal transport activity.Tracking data showed the French-owned ship passed close to the coast of Oman on the opposite side of the waterway to Iran. It's not known what the ship was carrying. A Japanese oil tanker also followed the same route out of the Strait of Hormuz.Several ships that made the journey through the strait on Thursday hugged 'unusually close' to the coast of Oman, according to maritime news and intelligence service Lloyd's List. US President Donald Trump has said America could reopen the strait. 'With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE,' he wrote on Truth Social. 'IT WOULD BE A GUSHER FOR THE WORLD??'About a fifth of the world's oil and liquid natural gas is transported through the Strait of Hormuz from the Gulf countries. But when the conflict began in late February, shipping was suspended, leaving about 200 vessels stranded in the surrounding waters according to Lloyd's List.The dramatic slowdown in traffic through the strait has led to skyrocketing global oil prices, which in turn has caused fuel prices to rise and led to fears of higher inflation around the world. While traffic is down about 95% compared to before the conflict, shipping through the narrow waterway has not stopped altogether. About 100 vessels have been able to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, according to data analysed by BBC Verify in late March, with roughly a third of those ships having links to Iran, while others were associated with countries such as Pakistan and India.
