Macron Offers French Role in ‘Defensive’ Hormuz Mission
French President Emmanuel Macron decorates soldiers from the deck of the amphibious helicopter carrier Dixmude docked in the French Navy base of Toulon, southern France, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — French President Emmanuel Macron said France was ready to participate in a «defensive» operation in the Strait of Hormuz but would stay clear of confrontation with Iran. «We are ready to be part of an international operation with a clear framework and a pure defensive framework. I don’t want to engage in a confrontation with any country, but we are ready to be more engaged in order to protect some capacities in order to make this transit possible,» Macron said in a interview with ABC News in New York on Tuesday. The situation surrounding the strait was likely underestimated, Macron said, and the problem now needs to be addressed. He added that the main goal of his meeting with US President Donald Trump on Monday was to discuss an agreement needed to reopen the strait and ease the pressure on fuel prices. The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran in late February. Hostilities led to a sharp drop in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which used to handle about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade before the conflict.
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