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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