French President Emmanuel Macron has flatly ruled out any French military participation in operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz while the US-Israeli war on Iran continues, pushing back firmly against pressure from US President Donald Trump for allied nations to help secure the critical oil waterway, but leaving the door open for a future escort mission once hostilities ease.
Speaking at the opening of a defence and national security council meeting in Paris on Tuesday, Macron said it was out of the question for France to take part in operations to open or liberate the Strait of Hormuz under current conditions, citing ongoing fighting in the region. “We are not party to the conflict,” he insisted, effectively rejecting calls from Trump for greater international involvement.
The French president was careful to distinguish between acting now and acting later. “We are convinced that once the situation has calmed down — and I deliberately use this term broadly — once the situation has calmed down, that is to say, once the main bombing has ceased, we are ready, along with other nations, to assume responsibility for the escort system,” Macron said. French officials indicated that Greece, Italy, and the Netherlands have shown interest in joining such a mission.
Macron also used the occasion to correct what he characterised as a misrepresentation of France’s position by Trump. Trump had told a White House event on Monday that he had spoken to Macron and given him an “8 out of 10” score on his stance toward getting allies to help unblock the strait, suggesting Paris was willing to join US-backed efforts. Macron moved swiftly to clarify that France would never take part in operations to open or liberate the strait in the current context.
France’s defence minister reinforced the message. Catherine Vautrin, France’s Minister of Armed Forces, told France 24 that there was no question of sending any vessels to the Strait of Hormuz at this point, stressing that France’s priority remains diplomacy and that the country is not participating in the war. “Our thinking was that this is a diplomatic mission,” she said.
The backdrop to Macron’s remarks is deeply alarming for global energy markets. The Strait of Hormuz crisis erupted on February 28, 2026, following joint military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran that included the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In response, Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes on US military bases, Israeli territory, and Gulf states, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued warnings prohibiting vessel passage through the strait — causing tanker traffic to drop by approximately 70 per cent, with over 150 ships anchoring outside the waterway to avoid attack.
Global oil prices have surged by 40 to 50 per cent since Iran began attacking shipping in the critical waterway, with Trump warning that it would be “very bad” for the future of NATO if allies refused to help reopen it.
France is far from alone in its reluctance. Britain, Germany, Japan, Australia, Poland, Spain, Greece, and Sweden have all distanced themselves from immediate military involvement in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving Washington largely isolated in its push for a coordinated allied mission.
Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani dismissed the prospect of any escort mission restoring order in the strait, saying it was unlikely any security would be achieved amid what he described as fires ignited by the United States and Israel.
For now, Macron has drawn a clear line: France did not choose this war and will not be drawn into it. “France did not choose this war. We are not taking part in it. We have a purely defensive position. Our objectives are clear: to protect our nationals, our diplomatic and military sites, and our interests in the region,” he said.