Despite existing ceasefire protocols, the Strait of Hormuz remains a volatile global chokepoint. Tensions continue to simmer as Iran targets commercial vessels, including those from India and other international partners, utilising asymmetric tactics that threaten the stability of vital energy corridors.
French shipping company CMA CGM says that one of its vessels was the target of warning shots in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday.
United States President Donald Trump said Iran had fired on French and British ships in the strait, with tensions high over the key waterway.
He also stated that it was up to President Emmanuel Macron to involve the French navy in the conflict.
The International Maritime Organisation confirmed that a French-flagged vessel was involved. The IMO, which regulates international shipping, said there have been 24 incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and across the Middle East since March 1.
CMA CGM Everglade, a container ship sailing under the French flag, came under attack on April 18. IMO said it was damaged north of Kumzar, Oman, though no injuries were reported.
Iran had "fired bullets" in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that "many of them were aimed at a French ship and a freighter from the United Kingdom."
Macron has consistently rejected the use of force to reopen the waterway, favouring a "neutral" international mission instead. He has argued that the Strait of Hormuz can only be sustainably reopened through direct consultation with Iran, rather than external military pressure.
Macron has also announced a new initiative to secure the Strait following Iran's conditional announcement that it would keep the route open during the ceasefire. Macron is co-hosting a coalition of approximately 15 to 49 countries (including Britain, Germany, and Italy) to set up a "neutral, independent mission."
The mission is strictly defensive, focusing on reassuring commercial shipping and conducting mine-clearing operations.
The Indian tanker, carrying two million barrels of Iraqi oil through the Strait of Hormuz, was forced to turn back after gunshots.
