France will not participate in unblocking the Strait of Hormuz, the country’s President Emmanuel Macron said on 17 March. His words are reported by international agencies.
Macron’s words came after statements by United States President Donald Trump, who expressed hope that Paris was ready to join.
“We are not a party to the conflict, so France will never participate in operations to open or free the Strait of Hormuz in the current context,” Macron said at the start of a cabinet meeting to discuss conflicts in the Middle East, as quoted by Reuters.
The president added that once the situation “calms down”, Paris would be ready to take responsibility, along with other countries, for providing escorts through the strait.
Speaking at a White House event the previous day, Trump said he had spoken to Macron, giving him an “8 out of 10” rating for his stance on unblocking the Strait of Hormuz with allies, and suggested Macron join the effort.
On March 14, Trump expressed hope that China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain and other countries would send warships to the Strait of Hormuz area to make it safe for ships to pass through.
Read also: Nobody wants to get involved in a war: Kallas on the possibility of an EU military mission in the Strait of Hormuz
Instead, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said his country would not send warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz at Trump’s call. According to The Telegraph, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also refusing to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz at Trump’s call.
In an interview with the Financial Times made public on 16 March, Trump warned that NATO faces a “very bad” future if alliance member states do not help open the critical Strait of Hormuz, an oil transport route that Iran has effectively closed amid a war with the United States and Israel.
Macron on the Strait of Hormuz: France “is not a party to the conflict”