French-owned CMA CGM container ship passes Strait of Hormuz, data shows

By Nerijus Adomaitis and Dominique Vidalon

PARIS, April 3 (Reuters) - A container ship belonging to French shipping group CMA CGM has crossed through the Strait of Hormuz, MarineTraffic vessel tracking data shows, in a sign that Iran may not consider France a hostile nation.

The Malta-flagged Kribi, owned by CMA CGM, crossed the Strait on April 2 and is the first French-owned vessel to make it through the channel since U.S.-Israeli attacks began in Iran at the end of February.

Until the war led to the effective closure of the Strait, it was the route for about a fifth of global ⁠oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.

It was not immediately clear how the vessel, which the data shows is sailing south along the coast of Oman, secured safe passage.

However, LSEG shipping data showed the vessel on Thursday changed its destination to "Owner France", signalling to Iranian authorities the nationality of its owner, before crossing the Strait's Iran's territorial waters.

The ship had originally been bound for Pointe-Noire in the Republic of the Congo.

CMA CGM did not immediately respond to a request for comment. France's foreign ministry declined to comment.