Paris, 17 March 2026 (dpa/MIA) - France will not play a part in securing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing conflict in Iran, French President Emmanuel Macron said in Paris on Tuesday.

"In the current context, France will never take part in an operation to open or liberate the Strait of Hormuz," Macron explained.

France could join allies in seeking to organize a convoy of ships through the strait, but only once bombings have largely ceased and the situation has calmed down, the president said.

Discussions have already taken place with European and regional partners, and the aim is to work towards ensuring safe shipping through the strait at a later date in the coming weeks.

Macron pointed out that France has a purely defensive stance in the conflict and is not a party to it.

US President Donald Trump has called on NATO partners in confrontational terms to help secure oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

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