French President Emmanuel Macron holds a meeting of France’s defence and security council, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on March 17, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday (March 17, 2026) said his country is ready to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, but only as part of a mission separate from the current West Asia war.
“We are not a party to the conflict, and therefore France will never take part in operations to reopen or liberate the Strait of Hormuz,” Macron said, responding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for European nations to send warships to the Persian Gulf.
Speaking ahead of a security meeting at the Elysee presidential palace, he stressed any mission would require “discussions and de-escalation with Iran” and must be “entirely separate from the ongoing military operations and bombings”.
Published – March 18, 2026 04:45 am IST
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