Ships Making It Through Strait Raise Another Big Question on France, May Expose Cracks in Iran Effort

We reported on Thursday about a United Nations Security Council resolution, designed to try to ensure safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The resolution from Bahrain:

"[A]uthorizes member States, acting nationally or through voluntary multinational naval partnerships, with advance notifications to the Security Council,” to use all necessary means “to secure transit passage and to deter attempts to close, obstruct or otherwise interfere with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.”

But three countries reportedly blocked the effort.: Russia, China, and France.

Russia and China are predictable. But France? They're supposed to be a NATO ally, and they're going to block the use of all possible means to deal with the Iranian terrorist regime? That's pretty weaselly.

But it may get worse.

Now comes word that some more ships made it through the Strait. Among them were ships linked to Japan, Oman, and...you guessed it...France.

CMA CGM containership passes Strait of Hormuz

A French-owned containership has successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first French-owned vessel to pass through the waterway since hostilities escalated at the end of February. According to #MarineTraffic data,… pic.twitter.com/syfT2EOwuw
— MarineTraffic (@MarineTraffic) April 3, 2026

The French ship was allegedly sailing under a Maltese flag.

What a coincidence, on the same day that they block the resolution, allegedly, the first Western-owned ship to make it through. And they went through the Iranian-approved route, through Qeshm and Larak islands, taking the route close to the Iranian coast. So, did France cut a separate deal — was that for blocking the resolution? Someone needs to ask that question of the French.

Meanwhile, three other ships, hugging the south coast route bound for Oman, also made it through the Strait.

Several tankers, including a possibly laden LNG tanker, are making their way through the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first outbound LNG tanker transit since the beginning of the war. https://t.co/s1Gc5T91zb
— Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) April 2, 2026

Three tankers linked to Oman had also sailed through the channel, the FT said, without taking the northern route next to the Iranian island. One of them was a liquefied natural gas tanker co-owned by the Japanese company Mitsui OSK Lines.
The Sohar LNG tanker, which sails under the flag of Panama, has made the journey, according to a statement made to Reuters. Mitsui OSK declined to disclose when the vessel had crossed the strait and whether it had made any negotiations to do so.

Now it's not clear if they had made any arrangements, but they weren't running the "Iran-approved" route.

But if they make it through safely, that could indicate that the southern route isn't mined.

Iranian state media IRNA claimed on Thursday that they were drafting a protocol to "monitor transit" through the Strait with Oman.

Tanker traffic through the key oil-shipping route “should be supervised and coordinated” with the two countries, said Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister of legal and international affairs, according to a translation of IRNA’s report.
“Of course, these requirements will not mean restrictions, but rather to facilitate and ensure safe passage and provide better services to ships that pass through this route,” Gharibabadi reportedly said.

Oman has not confirmed that, so I would not assume that it was true just because Iran says it.

While Iran is clearly trying to exercise control, it's also problematic for them in the sense that the more ships that get through, the more it could relieve the markets. And there do appear to be cracks with more getting through, although the traffic is still well below normal.

Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.

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