For the first time since the beginning of the war, a ship owned by a Western country, the cargo ship "Kribi" of the French company CMA CGM, left the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz. This happened just one day after French President Emmanuel Macron's criticism of Donald Trump. Macron questioned the US president's military goals and described the plan to open the strait by force as "unrealistic".
Although the Iranian military declares that the strait will remain closed to the US and Israel "for a long time", ships from other countries (China, Pakistan, the Philippines) are already moving freely. According to reports, Tehran has created a unique "customs point" in the strait, charging up to 2 million dollars for each crossing. Great Britain has already stated that it categorically rejects any demand to pay such duties. It is not clear whether the French ship paid for the passage or not, but it was spotted sailing very close to Iran's coast.
