LONDON, March 27 - Two Chinese container ships turned backed after trying to exit the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, ship-tracking data showed, despite assurances from Iran that Chinese vessels could pass.

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

The CSCL Indian Ocean and CSCL Arctic Ocean, both Hong Kong flagged, have been stuck in the Gulf since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began on Feb. 28.

They attempted to pass through the strait at 0350 GMT on Friday but then turned back, analysis from the Kpler data platform showed.

While this was the first crossing attempted by a major shipping group since the start of the war, Friday's incident showed "safe passage could not be guaranteed", Kpler analyst Rebecca Gerdes said.

On Wednesday, Tehran'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".

The two vessels both 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.

Iran has launched attacks on Gulf shipping and threatened more, stranding hundreds of vessels and 20,000 seafarers inside the Gulf. Energy exports including crude oil from Saudi Arabia and liquefied natural gas from Qatar have been effectively halted.

GOODWILL GESTURE

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Iran was letting 10 oil tankers transit the Strait of Hormuz as an apparent goodwill gesture in negotiations.

There have been no details about these tankers or if any had sailed through the strait since Trump's comment...