French President Emmanuel Macron declared on Tuesday that France will never participate in operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz “in the current context.” “France will never participate in operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in the current context,” Macron stated during a meeting of the National Defense and Security Council on Iran and the Middle East, adding that France would be willing to participate in the “escort” of vessels once the situation calms down. U.S. President Donald Trump declared on Sunday that he had “demanded” that several countries heavily dependent on Middle Eastern oil join a coalition to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime route through which nearly 20% of the world's oil passes, according to the Argentine News Agency. On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks against Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, along with high-ranking military and civilian officials. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone attacks against Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the Middle East, as well as by strictly controlling access to the Strait of Hormuz. The attacks have entered their third consecutive week, and according to Lloyd's List Intelligence data, only 77 vessels have transited the strait since March, representing a year-over-year drop of approximately 90%. However, several European nations and the European Union expressed reluctance or outright opposition on Monday to Trump's call for a military mission to ensure the security of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated on Monday that the UK is working with its allies on a “viable” plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and “will not be dragged into a wider war,” according to international media. In turn, German government spokesman Stefan Cornelius stated that the military conflict between Israel and the United States against Iran “has nothing to do with NATO.” Meanwhile, European diplomatic chief Kaja Kallas also commented on Monday: “We are interested in keeping the strait open, and that is why we are discussing what we can do about it from the European side.”
