LONDON - Two Chinese container ships turned backed after trying to exit the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz on March 27, 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 US-Israeli war with Iran began on Feb 28.

They attempted to pass through the strait at 0350 GMT on March 27 (11.50am Singapore time) 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, March 27’s incident showed “safe passage could not be guaranteed”, Kpler analyst Rebecca Gerdes said.

On March 25, 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 March 27.

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.

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