Photo: EPA
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that France will never participate in operations to unblock the Hormuz Strait, directly contradicting claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that Paris is ready to assist, according to Reuters.
“We are not a party to the conflict, and therefore France will never take part in operations to open or liberate the Hormuz Strait in the current context,” Macron said.
French officials noted that Paris continues to work on building a coalition to secure the Hormuz Strait once the security situation stabilizes, without U.S. involvement. Macron emphasized that France is confident it will be ready, together with other countries, to assume responsibility for escort operations once the main hostilities subside.
Previously, Trump claimed he had spoken with Macron, who was allegedly “8 out of 10” ready to support an allied effort to unblock the strait. However, many of Trump’s allies reportedly believe that the U.S. president no longer controls when or how the conflict in Iran will end, and some consider that American troops may need to be deployed along the coast to secure the Hormuz Strait.
