France is no longer a hostile country? Iran allows ships to pass through Strait of Hormuz after Macron snubs Trump

A French-owned container ship transits the Strait of Hormuz, a possible sign that Iran may no longer view France as a hostile country Emmanuel Macron Criticism of US President Donald Trump’s stance on the conflict.The Maltese-flagged Kribi, owned by France’s CMA CGM, passed through the strategic waterway on April 2, according to MarineTraffic ship tracking data. It is the first French ship to pass through the route since the US-Israeli attack on Iran in late February.The crossing came shortly after Macron publicly broke with Trump over the war and rejected any military attempts to reopen the strait.During his visit to South Korea, Macron said proposals to militarily protect the strategic waterway “sometimes made by the United States” were not feasible.“It’s unrealistic because it would take a lot of time and would expose anyone crossing the strait to coastal threats,” he said, citing risks posed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and missile capabilities.ALSO READ | ‘You can’t contradict yourself every day’: Macron slams Trump over IranHe added that any solution would require a “ceasefire and resumption of negotiations” with Iran, AFP reported.Macron also criticized Trump’s changing messaging on the conflict. “You have to be serious. When you want to be serious, you don’t say the opposite of what you said the day before every day. Maybe you shouldn’t say it every day.”It was unclear how the ship ensured safe passage. However, the ship changed its destination to “owner France” on Thursday before crossing Iranian territorial waters, indicating the nationality of its owner to Iranian authorities, London Stock Exchange shipping data showed.The ship was bound for Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo. Tracking data later showed it sailing south along the coast of Oman.CMA CGM did not immediately respond to a request for comment. France’s foreign ministry declined to comment.Before the war effectively closed the strait, the route carried about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. The waterway remains severely disrupted by the wider Middle East conflict.Since the start of the U.S.-led military campaign, Trump has made different remarks on issues such as strategy, allies and escalation, drawing close attention at home and abroad.