Two Chinese container ships reversed course after attempting to exit the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, according to ship-tracking data, even after Iran said Chinese vessels could pass through the waterway.

The vessels, CSCL Indian Ocean and CSCL Arctic Ocean, both flagged in Hong Kong and operated by China’s COSCO, tried to pass through the strait at 0350 GMT on Friday before turning back, analysis from the Kpler data platform showed.

The ships have been stuck in the Gulf since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began on Feb. 28.

COSCO had said in a March 25 client advisory that it resumed bookings for general cargo containers for shipments from Asia to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Iraq.

Friday’s incident marked the first crossing attempted by a major shipping group since the war started. Kpler analyst Rebecca Gerdes said the event showed “safe passage could not be guaranteed.”

On Wednesday, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said in a tweet that Iran “permitted passage through the Strait of Hormuz for friendly nations including China, Russia, India, Iraq, and Pakistan.”

Both vessels broadcast messages on their AIS ship-tracking systems stating they had Chinese owners and crews, data on the LSEG platform showed on Friday.

Shanghai-based parent company COSCO Shipping was not immediately available for comment.
Source: Investing.com