Macron: France Will Not Be Involved in Military Operations in the Strait of Hormuz

Moscow (ANTARA) - France will not be involved in any operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid the escalation in the Middle East, said President Emmanuel Macron. “We are not a party to that conflict. Therefore, France will never be involved in operations to open or free the Strait of Hormuz under the current conditions,” Macron stated. He made the remarks during a meeting of the French National Security and Defence Council on Tuesday (17/3) to discuss the situation in Iran and the Middle East. Previously, on Monday, US President Donald Trump said that Macron had expressed his willingness to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ensure freedom of navigation. On 14 March, Trump also requested China, France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and other countries to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz to secure shipping. On 28 February, the US and Israel launched attacks on targets in Iran, including in Tehran, causing damage and killing civilians. Iran then retaliated by attacking Israeli territory and US military facilities in the Middle East. This escalation has led to the halt of shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, the main route for oil and liquefied natural gas shipments from Persian Gulf countries to global markets. The disruption has also affected oil exports and production in the region.