Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman on Monday concluded a two-day visit to Paris with a joint call with French President Emmanuel Macron for navigation in the Strait of Hormuz to be returned to its "normal state.""The two sides condemned the attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and threats to the security of waterways," they said in a statement. "They stressed the importance of restoring navigation in the Strait of Hormuz to its normal state," the statement added, referring to "freedom of navigation, regular shipping traffic, and the absence of any direct or indirect tolls, restrictions on passage, in accordance with international law."Their call comes as the US unveiled an expansion of secondary sanctions against Iran in a bid to force it to stop attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said countries will have a finite timeline to shut down activities with Iran identified by his office or risk having key companies and entities cut off from the dollar-based financial ​system.The US wants to force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. REUTERSShow caption: The US wants to force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. R…Iran has warned further economic pressure will have the opposite effect. Tehran closed down the Strait after a joint US-Israeli attack in late February, nearly completely shutting down traffic through the waterway through which roughly 20 per cent of the world's oil used to transit.Negotiated solutionFrance and Saudi Arabia called on resolving issues with Iran, including its nuclear programme, via a "negotiated solution to avoid further escalation and ensure regional security." The Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen has recently also joined in causing havoc in maritime transit in the region by attacking ships and Saudi oil infrastructure - a move condemned by Mr Macron and Prince Mohammed. "The French side affirmed its solidarity and full support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and stressed its rejection of any attacks on the Kingdom's territory," the joint statement said.Additionally, Mr Macron and Prince Mohammed discussed the situation Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and Syria. Last month, the French President was the first EU leader to visit Damascus since rebels toppled the Assad regime in December 2024."They highlighted the importance of a robust institutional framework conducive to intensified economic investments and the opportunity of repositioning Syria as a bridge between Europe, the Gulf and Asia by building alternative routes," the statement said.Four business and defence agreements were signed during Prince Mohammed's visit to Paris on a variety of matters, including a $6bn Saudi investment in building manga-themed amusement parks near Paris and the strengthening of a defence partnership. Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's crown prince, right, is greeted by Emmanuel Macron, France's president, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026. BloombergShow caption: Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's crown prince, right, is …Paris has formal defence agreements with a number of Gulf states, including the UAE, and a deepening strategic cooperation with Saudi Arabia. France, alongside Italy, was one of the few European Union states to help Gulf states defend themselves from Iranian missile and drone attacks after the start of the war in February.The French Economy Ministry and the Saudi Communications Ministry also signed a memorandum of understanding to create a cooperation framework in AI, quantum computing, and emerging technologies.Separately, business representatives from France and Saudi Arabia held a meeting during which French shipping giant CMA CGM signed a 434 million Euro contract with Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Gateway Terminal to develop on of its terminals in Jeddah. French rail company Alstom also signed a 500 million Euro contract with Riyadh's Royal Commission to develop two metro lines.The world's ​top ​oil ⁠exporter Saudi ⁠Aramco said it had signed ​agreements with ⁠some French companies potentially worth over $3.7 billion ⁠in total. The agreements include procurement deals for drilling equipment and oil country tubular goods, as well as a memorandum of understanding ​to ‌explore ⁠industrial ​AI and ​related technologies. Saudi Aramc did ⁠not identify the ⁠French companies involved in the agreements.