A Maltese-flagged container ship owned by France’s CMA CGM and a Japanese co‑owned liquefied natural gas carrier were among a small handful of vessels that crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, maritime tracking data showed Friday — the first confirmed Japanese‑linked exit from the Gulf since the outbreak of war more than a month ago.
MarineTraffic tracking indicated the Kribi, flying a Maltese flag but listing CMA CGM as owner, transited the waterway on Thursday afternoon and was off Muscat by early Friday, still broadcasting “owner France” on the transponder field usually used for destination. Its navigation track showed it used the northern, Iranian‑sanctioned passage through the Gulf — the channel dubbed the “Tehran Toll Booth” by shipping journal Lloyd’s List. The movement marks one of the rare uses of that route by a vessel tied to a major Western carrier since maritime traffic was effectively curtailed by Iran’s campaign of selective strikes.
In addition, three tankers — including the Sohar LNG, which is co‑owned by Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. — crossed the strait on Thursday by taking an alternative southern route close to Oman’s Musandam peninsula. Lloyd’s List said this was the first time in nearly three weeks that ships hugged that Omani shoreline. All three signalled “OMANI SHIP” in the transponder message as they made the passage; Japanese media cited a company statement saying the Sohar LNG was empty when it left the Gulf, making it the first Japanese vessel to exit since the war began.
The crossings come against a backdrop of sharply reduced traffic through the strategic chokepoint. Kpler data to Friday showed just 221 commodity vessel transits of the Strait since March 1 — a trickle compared with the roughly 120 daily passages the channel handled in peacetime, according to Lloyd’s List. Of recorded movements, about 60 percent involved ships either coming from or heading to Iran. Among 118 crossings by ships carrying cargo, 37 reportedly carried crude oil; 30 of those tankers were Iranian‑origin or sailing under the Iranian flag. Most vessels carrying Iranian crude did not list a clear destination on their transponders, and of those that did, almost all reported China.
Since the war began, Iran has intermittently struck commercial ships and energy infrastructure in the Gulf, actions it says are retaliatory to US and Israeli operations. Shipping operators have altered routes and tactics in response: some vessels have accepted Iran’s northern, Iran‑approved passage while others have tried the southern coastal corridor near Oman, and at times ships have broadcast messages such as “Chinese crew” or “Chinese owner” in destination fields — apparently an effort to reduce the risk of being targeted.
While the Thursday movements show a limited resumption of some transits, analysts say the overall flow remains far below normal and uncertainty persists over how many vessels are being specifically cleared by Tehran. The Hong Kong‑flagged New Vision, which crossed on March 1 at the start of the conflict, is due in Le Havre on Saturday, underscoring that isolated commercial runs are continuing amid the broader disruption to one of the world’s most important energy seaways.