Micah Jonah, March 9, 2026
French President, Emmanuel Macron says France and its allies are preparing a defensive naval mission to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz once the most intense phase of the ongoing war involving Iran, the United States and Israel subsides.
Macron made the announcement on Monday while speaking in Cyprus, explaining that the planned operation would involve both European and non-European partners and is aimed at restoring safe maritime navigation in the strategic Gulf waterway.
“Ultimately, we aim to guarantee freedom of navigation and maritime security,” Macron said during a joint press conference with Cypriot President, Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The French leader said the proposed mission would escort container ships and oil tankers through the strait once hostilities reduce, allowing global trade routes to gradually reopen.
The conflict has effectively disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy corridors through which roughly 20 percent of global oil supplies pass.
Global energy markets have already felt the impact, with benchmark crude prices surging above $100 per barrel amid ongoing military strikes and retaliatory missile and drone attacks across the Middle East.
Iranian official Ali Larijani responded to Macron’s proposal by warning that maritime security in the strait cannot be guaranteed while hostilities continue.
“It is unlikely that any security will be achieved in the Strait of Hormuz amid the fires of the war ignited by the United States and Israel in the region,” Larijani said in a social media statement.
Meanwhile, several European countries have reinforced their military presence in the eastern Mediterranean following a drone attack on a British base in Cyprus reportedly carried out with Iranian-made drones.
Greece has deployed four F-16 fighter jets to the Paphos airbase, while its naval frigates Kimon and Psara are patrolling waters near Cyprus to intercept potential missile or drone threats.
France has also deployed the frigate Languedoc to strengthen anti-missile and anti-drone defences in the region. Macron added that Paris plans to send eight warships, two helicopter carriers and the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the eastern Mediterranean and nearby waters.
Macron described the deployment as “unprecedented” but emphasized that France’s objective remains strictly defensive.
“Our role is to stand alongside countries attacked by Iran and contribute to regional de-escalation,” he said.
The disruption of the Strait of Hormuz has also prompted emergency economic discussions among the Group of Seven finance ministers, who met in Brussels to consider measures to stabilise global energy markets.
French Finance Minister, Roland Lescure said the G7 is prepared to deploy “all necessary tools”, including a possible release of strategic oil reserves, if the crisis continues to drive prices higher.
Energy analysts say reopening the strait remains critical for global markets, as major producers such as Kuwait and Iraq rely heavily on the route to export crude oil to international markets.
