France ready to help U.S. secure Strait of Hormuz — but not while ships are under attack

<p>French Finance Minister Roland Lescure told CNBC that France is willing to support the U.S. in securing the Strait of Hormuz — just not while ships are still coming under attack in the vital maritime passage.</p>
<p>"We are willing to do something to free the Strait of Hormuz, provided that this is not a war situation anymore. Nobody wants to go across the Strait of Hormuz if there's a risk of missiles or drones going on your head," he told CNBC's Charlotte Reed on Tuesday.</p>
<p>"We need the conflict to de-escalate, and then we can imagine securing the Strait of Hormuz ... We know how to do it, but you don't do that in a war situation. You do that in a pacified situation in which people need to be secure and safe," he added.</p>
<p>France, the U.K. and Germany are among the European allies who have been criticized by President Donald Trump for failing to assist the U.S. in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime passage controlled by Iran which is critical for exporting large amounts of oil and gas out of the Middle East.</p>
<p>European countries are reluctant to get involved in the U.S. and Israel's conflict with Iran, seeing it as a war of choice rather than necessity, and one that has no clear objectives or endpoint.</p>
<p>While European officials have expressed concern that global food, fertilizer and energy supplies are at risk as a result of the Strait of Hormuz being effectively closed, there is little appetite to expand naval operations in the Middle East to assist the movements of vessels through the channel.</p>
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<p>The EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas summed up sentiment in the region on Monday, telling reporters, "This is not Europe's war, but Europe's interests are directly at stake."</p>
<p>Lescure echoed that sentiment, telling CNBC: "Is the conflict going to impact Europe? Yes. Is the conflict going to impact the U.S.? I think yes, too. And you know, the last time I checked, we didn't start the conflict," he said.</p>
<p>French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that his country would not take part in operations in the Strait of Hormuz, stating: "We are not party to the conflict and therefore France will never take part in operations to ​open or liberate the Strait of Hormuz in ​the current context," he said Monday, in comments <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/france-will-never-take-part-operations-unblock-hormuz-strait-amid-hostilities-2026-03-17/">translated by Reuters</a>.</p>
<p>"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.</p>