A few tankers and cargo ships resume passage through Strait of Hormuz

A small number of oil tankers and cargo ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz, according to multiple media reports. Reuters reported on April 5 that a tanker carrying Iraqi crude passed through the strait and is scheduled to unload at a Malaysian port in mid-April. Citing an anonymous source, the report added that Iran has allowed several ships linked to Malaysia to pass. This follows an earlier report from Al Jazeera that Iran would permit Iraq to use the strait without restrictions. Separately, the BBC reported on April 4 that a large container ship belonging to France's CMA CGM had also transited the waterway. Shipping analytics firm Kpler noted this was the first vessel from a major Western European shipping company to do so since the war between the U.S., Israel, and Iran began. Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) also announced that one of its LNG carriers had previously passed through the strait.