French President Emmanuel Macron revealed that France will join the escorting of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz once the situation has calmed, and that it will not participate in any attack or liberation of the strait.
On 17 Mar 2026 GMT+7, France's cabinet for defense and national security met to discuss the situation in Iran and the Middle East. President Emmanuel Macron stated that France is ready to join a mission escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz when the situation "calms down" compared to the current state.
Macron told the ministers at the start of the meeting that France is not part of the conflict and stressed, "France will never participate in operations to open or liberate the Strait of Hormuz under the current circumstances."
"However, when the situation calms down further—which we intend in a broad sense—and once major bombings have ceased, we will be ready to join other countries in taking responsibility for escorting ships," he added.
The French president emphasized, "This requires comprehensive political, technical, and operational actions, with cooperation from all stakeholders involved in maritime transport and insurance companies."
Macron further stated that France has begun discussions with India and other European and regional allies, emphasizing that the mission "must be entirely separate from ongoing warfare and bombing operations."
"France has a simple and clear responsibility in this region: to protect our citizens and interests, to be a reliable partner for all, and to work towards reducing tensions and building stability. We wish to move forward within this framework," Macron said.
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Source:bbc