Iran Claims Strait of Hormuz Unsafe Due to US-Israel Attacks

Iran’s security chief Ari Larijani stated that security in the Strait of Hormuz cannot be restored while war with the United States and Israel continues. He made this statement whilst commenting on an Al Jazeera Arabic report about French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement that his country and its allies are preparing a “defence” mission to reopen the strategic waterway.

“It is highly unlikely that security can be achieved in the Strait of Hormuz amid the fire sparked by the United States and Israel in the region,” Larijani said.

Previously, the French government deployed naval ships, including an aircraft carrier strike group, to the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and potentially the Strait of Hormuz as part of “defence” support to its allies in the Middle East.

Speaking in Cyprus after the country was struck by drones the previous week, President Emmanuel Macron stated: “When Cyprus is attacked, Europe is attacked.”

Overall, Macron said France would deploy eight warships, an aircraft carrier strike group, and two helicopter carriers to the region. This could ultimately include the Strait of Hormuz to support commercial vessels, Macron said.

“We are in the process of forming a pure escort and defence mission, which must be prepared together with European and non-European countries, and its purpose is to enable – as soon as possible after the most intense phase of conflict ends – the escorting of container ships and tankers to gradually reopen the Strait of Hormuz,” Macron said.

The escalation has raised concerns about potential economic impacts. Oil price fluctuations, particularly if crude reaches 120 US dollars per barrel, could widen Indonesia’s 2026 budget deficit to 3.6 per cent. National fuel reserves, currently at approximately 20–21 days of supply, are considered sufficient under normal conditions, though public anxiety persists due to information imbalance and eroded confidence in government supply guarantees.