LONDON: Four ships, including one co-owned by a Japanese company and one by a French company, crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday as Iran said it is drafting a peacetime protocol to supervise maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz with Oman.

The near closing of the Strait due to US-Israeli war against Iran in Middle East has led to fuel shortages and soaring energy prices across the globe.

The few vessels that have crossed the chokepoint have passed using an Iranian-approved route through its waters near Larak Island, dubbed the “Tehran Toll Booth” by leading shipping journal Lloyd’s List.

Two laden very large crude carrier (VLCC) — the Habrut and the Dhalkut — and one empty Sohar LNG tanker crossed the strait on Thursday morning. The Sohar LNG is the first LNG tanker to have crossed the strait since March 1, when Iranian attacks against ships near the Strait of Hormuz reduced crossings to a near stop.

Earlier, a French-owned container ship passed through the Strait of Hormuz, according Marine Traffic data, the first known transit by a major European shipping group since March 1

Meanwhile, Iran said on Thursday it was drafting a peacetime protocol to supervise maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz with Oman, state media reported.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told Russia’s Sputnik media that the protocol would apply thewar had ended, setting basic rules to manage ship movements.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2026