French President Emmanuel Macron holds a meeting of France’s defence and security council, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on March 17, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday (March 17, 2026) said his country is ready to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, but only as part of a mission separate from the current West Asia war. “We are not a party to the conflict, and therefore France will never take part in operations to reopen or liberate the Strait of Hormuz,” Macron said, responding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for European nations to send warships to the Persian Gulf. Speaking ahead of a security meeting at the Elysee presidential palace, he stressed any mission would require “discussions and de-escalation with Iran” and must be “entirely separate from the ongoing military operations and bombings”. Published – March 18, 2026 04:45 am IST Share this: Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Click to print (Opens in new window) Print Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon Click to share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window) Nextdoor Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky Like this:Like Loading... Post navigation From The Hindu Archives, March 18, 1976: Coonoor polio vaccine unit to be closed Iran confirms security chief Larijani killed as Israel vows to target new Supreme Leader