French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that France and its allies are preparing a mission to escort vessels through the Strait of Hormuz once the current conflict in the region subsides.
The mission, described as 'purely defensive', aims to reopen the strategic Gulf waterway, through which about 20 percent of the world's oil supplies pass. Macron made the announcement while speaking in Cyprus on Monday.
The French president stated that the purpose of the mission is to enable the escort of container ships and tankers, allowing the Strait of Hormuz to gradually reopen after the most intense phase of the conflict has ended.
Treaty Background
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively shut down due to the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran, resulting in a surge in global oil prices. Iranian attacks on energy infrastructure in the Middle East have also raised concerns.
Top Iranian security official Ali Larijani responded to Macron's comments, stating that security in the Strait of Hormuz is unlikely to be achieved amid the ongoing conflict. Larijani also expressed doubts about the ability of parties involved in the conflict to restore security in the region.
Official Statements
Macron's comments come as finance ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) countries met in Brussels to discuss how to respond to the rising oil prices. French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said that the G7 ministers did not make a decision on the potential release of emergency oil stocks.
Paul Hickin, editor-in-chief and chief economist at Petroleum Economist, told Al Jazeera that getting the Strait of Hormuz reopened is the main priority. Hickin explained that several countries in the Middle East, such as Kuwait and Iraq, are dependent on the strait to get their energy supplies to market.
Regional Context
European countries have been largely sidelined as the conflict escalates, but several, including France, the United Kingdom, and Greece, have sent military assets to Cyprus following an Iranian-made drone attack on a British base on the island.
Macron has ordered the French frigate Languedoc to waters off Cyprus to bolster the country's anti-drone and anti-missile defenses. The French president also announced plans to deploy a total of eight warships, two helicopter carriers, and the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the Eastern Mediterranean and the wider Middle East region.
Source: Al Jazeera
