The Malta-flagged container ship Kribi, owned by French shipping giant CMA CGM, crossed the Strait of Hormuz on April 2, marking the first passage by a Western vessel since the US-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28. It remains unclear how the ship, which data shows sailing south along Oman's coast, secured safe passage, but LSEG shipping data indicated it changed its destination to "Owner France" on Thursday, signaling its French ownership to Iranian authorities before traversing the strait's Iranian territorial waters.

The Strait of Hormuz, previously a route for about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, has been effectively closed due to the war, leading to skyrocketing fuel prices worldwide. Since March 1, only around 150 vessels, including tankers and container ships, have transited the strait, with most linked to Iran, China, India, and Pakistan, highlighting severe disruptions to international maritime trade.

US President Donald Trump insisted on Wednesday that petrol prices would fall quickly once the war concludes, but offered no concrete solution for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, instead inviting skeptical US allies to handle it themselves. French President Emmanuel Macron stated on Thursday that a military operation to open the strait would be unrealistic, emphasizing that only diplomatic efforts could work, reflecting deepening divisions within the Western alliance over how to address the crisis.

In an article for the US journal Foreign Affairs, Iran's former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif suggested that Tehran could make a deal with the United States to end the war by offering to curb its nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for sanctions relief. However, given the ongoing hostilities and geopolitical tensions, such diplomatic overtures face significant hurdles, and their feasibility remains uncertain amid the broader regional instability.

Source: www.aljazeera.com