Japanese and French Tankers Risk Strait of Hormuz Crossing as Maritime Siege Weakens

Mitsui O.S.K. and CMA CGM vessels complete first successful transits of the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the Iran war as shipping routes shift.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 4, 2026, 4:01 PM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Japan Times

A Breach in the Maritime Blockade

The Sohar LNG, a vessel co-owned by the Japanese shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, successfully exited the Persian Gulf on Thursday, ending a three week period of total Japanese maritime paralysis in the region. According to tracking data provided by Marine Traffic, the ship was one of a small cluster of vessels to challenge the blockade that has effectively choked the world’s most vital energy artery. This transit represents a significant breakthrough for Tokyo, as the Sohar LNG was previously among 45 Japanese-affiliated ships idling in the Gulf, unable to find safe passage since the outbreak of hostilities more than a month ago.

The Strategy of Geographic Deception

To facilitate the crossing, the Japanese vessel utilized a southern route that hugged the coastline of Oman’s Musandam Peninsula, a maneuver Lloyd’s List describes as the first of its kind in nearly twenty days. In a bid to avoid being targeted by Iranian forces, the ship’s transponder broadcasted the message "OMANI SHIP" throughout the transit. This tactical camouflage appears to be part of a broader trend where commercial vessels misidentify their nationality or ownership to bypass Iranian aggression. While the Sohar LNG was empty at the time of its exit, its safe arrival in the Gulf of Oman provides a temporary reprieve for Japanese energy interests.

The Rise of the Tehran Toll Booth

Simultaneously, the French-owned Kribi, operated by maritime group CMA CGM, utilized a different but equally specific survival strategy to exit the waterway. Rather than hugging the Omani coast, the Maltese-flagged vessel followed a northern path through Iranian territorial waters. This specific corridor, colloquially known in shipping circles as the "Tehran Toll Booth," requires explicit or tacit approval from Iranian authorities. Marine Traffic data indicated that the Kribi continued to broadcast its French ownership via transponder signals even as it cleared the strait, reaching the waters off Muscat by early Friday morning.