The vessel switched off its tracking signal before entering the strait, leaving the exact location of the strike unclear.
The incident follows Trump’s announcement that the U.S. would guide ships safely through Hormuz under “Project Freedom,” a plan to escort vessels out of the critical waterway. On Tuesday night, however, he said the U.S. would pause support for ships transiting the strait “for a short time,” citing “great progress” in negotiations with Iran.
French government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said: “The strikes that targeted a CMA CGM vessel clearly show that the situation remains dangerous. The ship was not flying the French flag. As things stand, France was therefore in no way targeted. Both the Iranians and the Americans must understand that it is in the common interest for traffic to resume freely.”
The attack comes amid a string of incidents flagged by the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations over the past week.
On Tuesday, a cargo vessel was hit by an unknown projectile in the strait. A day earlier, a vessel was reported on fire near the United Arab Emirates coast. On Sunday, a tanker was struck by projectiles off Fujairah, UAE, while a separate bulk carrier reported an attack by multiple small vessels near Iranian waters.
Lars Jensen, CEO of maritime consultancy Vespucci Maritime, said the volatile situation means that even if corridors reopen, many operators are likely to adopt a “wait-and-see” approach before resuming normal routes.
Victor Goury-Laffont contributed to this report.