EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that France and its allies would be ready to deploy a mission within days to secure the Strait of Hormuz if the truce between the United States and Iran is confirmed.
Speaking in an interview with French broadcaster TF1, Macron said the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier could be deployed “in two to three days” to patrol the strait, following “the confirmation” of a deal between Washington and Tehran.
“We are ready … as early as tomorrow we can have fighter jets for surveillance missions, a frigate in the area tomorrow, and the Charles de Gaulle [aircraft carrier], mine-clearing capabilities and everything that comes with the Charles de Gaulle within two, three days,” he said.
France and the U.K. have been spearheading efforts to put together a maritime mission aimed at securing the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global oil and gas deliveries, once the fighting stops.
“We have built a mission with the British, several nations are included, we are ready to act very quickly,” Macron said on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, where leaders are gathering Monday for three days of talks.
On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal with Iran to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. However, the deal does not address Iran’s nuclear program, which will be negotiated at a later stage, and there’s uncertainty over whether the Iranians want to impose a toll system in the strait.
The French president said countries needed to be “vigilant” and that a lot depended on discussions with Iran and the U.S.
“We defend international law and we will do everything we can so that there isn’t a toll” in the waterway.
Earlier on Monday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the deal with Iran “a hugely significant moment” and said the U.K. and France could “play our part” in helping get vessels through the strait.
Starmer did not give a timeline for the deployment of the mission.