PARIS: France is pushing on with efforts to put together a coalition to secure the Strait of Hormuz once the security situation stabilizes, two French officials said on Friday, after a report suggested Paris was negotiating safe passage for its ships.
European states have been largely sidelined as the US-Israeli war on Iran has escalated, with Iran carrying out strikes against Israel, US bases and Gulf states.
But with shipping lanes affected and the conflict pushing up oil prices, European powers are trying to work out how to defend their interests.
France has been consulting with European, Asian and Gulf states over the past week with a view to putting together a plan for warships to eventually escort tankers through the strait.
“In the current context the conditions don’t allow for any mission to deploy forces, but we are initially working on the diplomacy so we can then enter into details and eventually it can become operational,” said one official.
