Japan ship exits Hormuz along Omani coastline

A French container ship and a Japanese-owned tanker crossed the Strait of Hormuz, in what appear to be the first such transits since the war in Iran shuttered the crucial waterway. The CMA CGM Kribi container ship exited the strait on Friday, according to data. That’s the first ship linked to Western Europe that’s known to have made it through since the war began more than a month ago. Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines said on Friday that the liquefied natural gas tanker it part-owns also crossed — another first.

Until now, most vessels crossing the strait have been friendly to Iran. In recent days, another path has emerged — along the Omani coastline. The LNG ship took that route, along with two oil supertankers.





The data show the CMA CGM Kribi sailed from waters off Dubai toward Iran on Thursday afternoon, signalling that its owner was French, according to 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 Friday, it signalled it was off Muscat.

This is a Bloomberg story.