France sends aircraft carrier towards Red Sea for possible Hormuz mission

PARIS: France said on Wednesday that its aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle was moving towards the southern Red Sea to be positioned for a possible operation aimed at restoring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

An aide to President Emmanuel Macron said the deployment was meant to send “a signal that not only are we ready to secure the Strait of Hormuz but that we are also capable of doing so”.

Shipping through the strategic waterway — which normally carries about one-fifth of the world’s crude oil — has nearly come to a halt since conflict broke out in the Middle East in late February.

Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are leading a multinational initiative intended to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. They have said the mission would be entirely defensive and would only be deployed after the war ends.

Macron said on X that he had spoken to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday and conveyed his “deep concern” over the escalation in the Gulf as peace efforts have stalled. “All parties must lift the blockade of the strait, without delay and without conditions,” he said on X, in reference to a US blockade of Iranian ports and Tehran’s own chokehold on the vital sea route.

Carrier group redirected

France’s defence ministry said the Charles de Gaulle, the flagship of the French navy, and its escort vessels were passing through the Suez Canal on their way to the southern Red Sea.

The ministry said the move was intended “to reduce the time needed to implement this initiative as soon as circumstances allow”.

More than 40 countries have started military planning for the Hormuz mission after talks hosted by Britain.

Macron’s aide said France was acting because “the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues, the damage to the global economy is becoming increasingly severe, and the risk of prolonged hostilities is too serious for us to accept”.

French proposal to Washington and Tehran

The aide said France had proposed to the United States and Iran that they “deal with the issue of the Strait of Hormuz separately” from the wider conflict. “It is in the common interest,” the aide said.

The aide added: “We can offer Iran the chance to pass through the Strait of Hormuz again,” provided that Tehran agrees to participate in talks with the United States.

According to the Elysee representative, Washington would in turn need to “lift their blockade of Hormuz and take advantage of Iran’s willingness to negotiate on key issues,”.

If those conditions are met, the coalition could deploy assets to protect ships moving through the strait and “help restore the confidence needed to calm the markets”.

The Charles de Gaulle is carrying around 20 Rafale fighter jets and is accompanied by several frigates. The carrier left the southeastern French port of Toulon in January for a mission in the North Atlantic.

In early March, however, it was redirected to the eastern Mediterranean to protect French interests and allied countries hit by Iran’s retaliation following Israeli-American attacks.