President Emmanuel Macron said France would never take part in operations to unblock the Strait of Hormuz.
Macron on Tuesday, March 17, said at the start of a cabinet meeting to discuss the conflicts in the Middle East that France is not a party to the conflict and, therefore, France will never take part in operations to open or secure the Strait of Hormuz in the current context.
He added that France is working to form a coalition, along with other countries, to ensure the security of maritime routes and enable the escort of commercial ships and tankers through the Strait of Hormuz once tensions ease and the bombing ends.
France has already been consulting with European, Asian—including India—and Gulf Arab states over the past week with a view to putting together a plan for warships to eventually escort tankers and commercial ships through the strait.
Macron emphasized that this is a complex undertaking, involving political and technical aspects, and obviously requires coordination with all stakeholders in maritime transport, including insurers and operational personnel.
