France will send warships to unblock Strait of Hormuz, — Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron said that Paris and its partners are preparing a "purely defensive" mission to restore shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran closed after the start of attacks by the US and Israel.
He said this during a visit to Cyprus, according to Le Figaro and Le Parisien, as reported by Censor.NET.
Details
According to Macron, this mission should be prepared "together with European and non-European states" to "ensure the escort of container ships and tankers for the gradual restoration of the Strait of Hormuz."
According to him, Paris will deploy eight frigates, two landing ships, and an aircraft carrier "from the eastern Mediterranean to the Red Sea and off the coast of Hormuz."
The French president also expressed his support for the Gulf countries that Iran had attacked.
"This mobilization of our naval forces is unprecedented. It is, of course, also taking place with the involvement of our air and land forces in the region. France's goal is to promote de-escalation, the safety of our citizens, the safety of our partners, as well as freedom of navigation and maritime security," Macron added.
Last week, Cyprus, a member of the European Union, was attacked by Iranian drones. This prompted Macron to send the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the Mediterranean, as well as a frigate and air defense units directly to the island nation.
More about the Strait of Hormuz
- The Strait of Hormuz connects the Gulf of Oman with the Persian Gulf and serves as a strategic trade route, particularly for oil transportation—approximately 20% of the world's daily oil consumption passes through it every day.
- After the US and Israel launched their strikes, Iran threatened to close the strait and warned that it would destroy any ship that attempted to pass through it.
