France will not take part in military operations to open the Strait of Hormuz by force, but is prepared to help secure key maritime routes, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu told lawmakers amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
“France is not a party to the conflict; it will not participate in military operations to open the Strait of Hormuz by force; it will not allow itself to be drawn into a war that it did not choose,” Lecornu said in the National Assembly.
However, he stressed that France stands ready to work with partners to ensure the security of shipping routes in line with international law.
“We are facing a problem of energy costs, not a problem of access. We must do everything to ensure that this maritime traffic crisis does not become an energy crisis,” he added, referring to the strategic waterway.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz - a crucial route for global trade and energy supplies - has been severely disrupted by rising tensions in the Gulf. The escalation followed joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February and Tehran’s subsequent retaliation.
Lecornu warned that the conflict is widening, describing it as “a war that is spreading, hitting civilian infrastructure, threatening maritime security, and destabilising an entire region over the long term.”
He also announced plans to invest an additional €8.5 billion (about $9.8 billion) in munitions between 2026 and 2030 as part of an update to France’s military programming law, which will be debated in parliament later this year.
“It is essential and it is colossal,” he said, adding that a new “France Munitions” platform will soon be created to supply the country’s armed forces and allies.
The ongoing escalation has reportedly killed more than 1,340 people, while Iran has responded with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as U.S. military assets in Jordan, Iraq and Gulf states.
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Both the United States and Iran are giving conflicting messages about trying to end the conflict in the Middle East as the rest of the world battle with the consequences of the war. Welcome to AnewZ's coverage of the tensions in the Middle East.
Iran has rejected a U.S. proposal to end the war, insisting any ceasefire will occur only on its own terms and timeline, according to a senior political-security official speaking to state-run Press TV on Wednesday.
An opposition politician in Georgia has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for defacing an election banner, prompting strong reactions at home and abroad.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said it is unfair for people around the world to shoulder the cost of U.S.–Israeli attacks on Iran, warning that Spanish firms have already lost €100 billion ($116 billion) in less than a month as a result of the conflict.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. was talking to the right people in Iran to make a deal on Tuesday (24 March), as Pakistan's Prime Minister offered to host peace talks between the two countries to bring about an end to the conflict.
Both the United States and Iran are giving conflicting messages about trying to end the conflict in the Middle East as the rest of the world battle with the consequences of the war. Welcome to AnewZ's coverage of the tensions in the Middle East.
Afghan authorities say Pakistani jets entered northern Afghanistan, while Pakistan insists its actions target terrorism, highlighting continued strain after a temporary Eid ceasefire ended.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen resigned on Wednesday after her coalition suffered a heavy election defeat, triggering negotiations over who will form the next government.
Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel, the Israeli military said, after U.S. President Donald Trump postponed a threat to bomb the Islamic Republic's power grid because of what he described as productive talks with Iranian officials.
Iran has rejected a U.S. proposal to end the war, insisting any ceasefire will occur only on its own terms and timeline, according to a senior political-security official speaking to state-run Press TV on Wednesday.
An opposition politician in Georgia has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for defacing an election banner, prompting strong reactions at home and abroad.
Uzbekistan has launched the next phase of its first nuclear power plant (NPP) project, with initial concrete works now under way at the construction site in the Farish district of the Jizzakh region, according to the national atomic energy agency, Uzatom.
U.S. citizen Dennis Coyle has been released after more than a year in detention in Afghanistan, with the United Arab Emirates facilitating his transfer. U.S. officials say he is now on his way home following diplomatic efforts involving multiple countries.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called on Beijing and Moscow to prevent Washington from continuing to abuse the United Nations Security Council. He made the comment during a phone conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi according to state-owned IRNA news agency.
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