CMA CGM Megaship Successfully Transits the Strait of Hormuz as IMO Suspends Evacuation Operation

While the International Maritime Organization (IMO) continues to suspend its evacuation operation for vessels and seafarers pending clearer safety assurances, commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has not come to a complete standstill. CMA CGM has confirmed that it successfully guided one of its vessels stranded in the Arabian Gulf through the strategic waterway.

CMA CGM Galapagos Successfully Completes Hormuz Transit

The CMA CGM Galapagos, a 154,222 DWT container vessel, is now safely anchored off Muscat, Oman, after being stranded in the Arabian Gulf for several months following the outbreak of the regional conflict in late February.

Although CMA CGM did not disclose detailed voyage information, vessel tracking data indicates that the ship transited via the navigation route designated by Iran, passing close to Larak Island.

Built in 2022 and registered in France, the CMA CGM Galapagos is an Ultra-Large Container Vessel (ULCV) with a carrying capacity of 15,254 TEU.

Earlier, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk, and Evergreen had also managed to move several vessels out of the Gulf. However, most of those were smaller feeder vessels.

Commenting on the successful transit, CMA CGM described it as: "an important milestone in a regional context."

While the company has not announced its next operational plans, vessel tracking data indicates that the CMA CGM Galapagos is continuing its voyage toward China, with arrival expected in mid-July.

CMA CGM also confirmed that 10 additional vessels remain stranded in the Arabian Gulf but declined to comment on future evacuation plans.

IMO Evacuation Operation Continues to Face Significant Challenges

CMA CGM's announcement came only days after IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez confirmed that the organization had successfully assisted 115 vessels in evacuating the region over a period of 3.5 days before being forced to suspend the operation.

The evacuation covered approximately 2,500 seafarers, while an estimated 11,000 crew members aboard nearly 600 vessels remain stranded in the Arabian Gulf.

According to IMO, the suspension followed a warning issued by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stating that vessels using maritime corridors not approved by Tehran would face: "legal sanctions."

Mr. Dominguez explained that while IMO was assessing the implications of the warning, the Ever Lovely drone attack occurred, forcing the organization to immediately halt the evacuation mission.

He also reiterated IMO's position that Ever Lovely had not contacted the Omani authorities nor complied with the organization's coordination procedures, despite Evergreen Line maintaining that the vessel had been sailing along the route recommended by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

Although the official evacuation mission remains suspended, Mr. Dominguez revealed that preliminary data showed 11 vessels had successfully transited through the northern corridor controlled by Iran, while four vessels used the southern corridor off the coast of Oman by the end of last weekend.

Geopolitical Tensions Continue to Escalate

Iran has continued to insist that only the navigation routes designated by Tehran are considered legitimate shipping corridors and that all vessels must obtain prior authorization before transiting, despite earlier diplomatic understandings.

During the past week, Tehran reportedly attacked Evergreen Line's Ever Lovely container vessel and the tanker Kiku, claiming both ships had failed to comply with Iranian transit procedures.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Iran launched four drones on Thursday, three of which were intercepted and destroyed by U.S. forces.

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) subsequently announced airstrikes against 10 Iranian military targets, describing the operation as a response to: “continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping."

Reports also indicated that Iran retaliated by launching attacks on U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.

On social media, President Trump further stated: "struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN! It is very possible that they will never learn!"

Commercial Shipping Continues Despite Heightened Risks

Despite the exchange of military strikes, commercial shipping through the region continues.

According to maritime analytics firm Windward, 18 vessels departed the Arabian Gulf on Saturday (27 June), including one ship that switched off its Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal during transit.

In the opposite direction, 22 vessels entered the Gulf, although Windward did not disclose which navigation corridors they used.

Citing data from Vortexa, Windward reported that approximately 3.9 million barrels out of an expected 4.12 million barrels of crude oil were successfully exported from the Arabian Gulf.

The figures indicate that energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz remain largely intact, even as the maritime security environment continues to face significant uncertainty and elevated operational risks.

See more:

• Port of Long Beach Invests $58.2 Million to Expand Zero-Emission Cargo Handling Fleet
• Strait of Hormuz Gradually Resumes Operations: Positive Signals Amid Regulatory Disputes
• IMO Launches Plan to Evacuate Over 11,000 Seafarers Stranded in the Strait of Hormuz
• Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA): Import and Export Volumes Simultaneously Rally in May
• Container Shipping Resilience: A Deeper Look Behind Faster Recovery Times
• US–Iran 'Hotline' Established for the Strait of Hormuz: Diplomatic Progress Meets Maritime Challenges
• Port of Melbourne Reports Positive Container Throughput Growth in May
• International Shipping and Logistics Market Update Week 25/2026 | Phaata
• CMA CGM Implements Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) Across Multiple Key Trade Lanes
• Maersk Expands WAF7 Service to South Africa to Support Peak Fruit Export Season
• MSC Restructures Intra-Far East Service Network
• COSCO schedules: Vietnam - North America in Jun 2026
• COSCO updates Vietnam-Intra Asia sailing schedules in Jun 2026
• COSCO updates Vietnam-North Europe sailing schedules in Jun 2026
• SITC updates Vietnam-Intra Asia sailing schedules in Jun 2026

Source: Phaata.com (According to Maritime Executive)

► Find Better Freight Rates & Logistics Service Providers!