Iran Rejects French Plan for Mine Clearance in Strait of Hormuz

Iran on Monday rejected a French-backed proposal to cooperate on mine clearance in the Strait of Hormuz. Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi stressed that under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, mine clearance operations in the strategic waterway would be carried out ‘entirely by Iran’ and not by other nations. He stated that parallel arrangements or foreign involvement in mine clearance operations would not be permitted, emphasising that the current conditions in the strait remain ‘sensitive and complex.’ ‘We advise France not to complicate the situation with its provocations,’ Gharibabadi said on the social media platform X. The statement came after French President Emmanuel Macron said in a post on X that France and Oman had decided to work together, in coordination with partners, on mine clearance efforts in the Strait of Hormuz. The clearance aims to secure maritime routes and ensure ‘free and unconditional’ passage through the strait. Macron announced the plan following bilateral talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman during his first official visit to Paris. Tehran has repeatedly asserted that the management of navigation, mine clearance operations, and temporary maritime arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz remain under Iran’s coordination as the coastal state. This provision is stipulated under Article 5 of the Islamabad MoU, which was signed online by Tehran and Washington on 18 June to restore maritime transit and establish a temporary navigation mechanism in the strategic waterway. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, has remained a focal point of regional tension since the outbreak of conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran on 28 February 2026.