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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
National
RFI

France rules out Hormuz military role as Macron defies Trump

Emmanuel Macron France Hormuz Middle East Strait of Hormuz Catherine Vautrin Donald Trump Paris Islamic State
France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a national defence council meeting on Middle East war at the Elysee Palace in Paris on 17 March 2026. AFP - BENOIT TESSIER

French President Emmanuel Macron has ruled out any immediate French military involvement in securing the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that Paris will not take part in operations while active bombardments continue in the Middle East.

Speaking on Tuesday at the start of a defence council meeting at the Élysée Palace, Macron firmly rejected calls from US President Donald Trump for allies to help reopen the strategic waterway, which Iran has blocked. “We are not a party to the conflict,” he said, adding that France would “never take part in operations to open or liberate the Strait of Hormuz in the current context”.

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