First Western vessel crosses Hormuz amid tight restrictions
A French ship has become the first Western vessel to transit the Strait of Hormuz since the war began, passing through on Friday after weeks of restricted access.
Without an agreed protocol in place, Iran has tightly controlled which vessels can pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has allowed some vessels from countries it considers friendly, while restricting those linked to the United States, Israel and the United Kingdom.
Traffic through the strait has dropped sharply from around 100 ships a day to a trickle, with an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 vessels backlogged.
Al Jazeera reported that talks between Iran and Oman on a possible framework to reopen the route are ongoing.
A cargo ship in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah in United Arab Emirates, 11 March 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo