What is France up to now?
On Wednesday, an aide to France's President Emanuel Macron announced that France would be sending the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the Red Sea, so the ship and her accompanying task group may presumably be ready for any possible Strait of Hormuz free right-of-passage mission.
France's aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle was on Wednesday heading towards the southern Red Sea to pre‑position for a possible mission to restore navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, Paris said.
The move was intended 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", an aide to President Emmanuel Macron told reporters.
Traffic in the strategic waterway, through which around one-fifth of the world's crude oil normally transits, has all but stopped since conflict erupted in the Middle East in late February.
The capability is not in question. The Charles de Gaulle is the only active-service nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the world that isn't part of the United States Navy, although next to our latest marks of American aircraft carriers, the French version is on the small side. But being nuclear-powered, it's easier to keep on station for an extended period, should that be necessary.
Here's the onion:
Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are leading a multinational mission towards restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which they say would be entirely defensive and only deployed once the war ended.
Macron said on X he told his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday of his "deep concern" at escalation in the Gulf region amid stalling peace talks.
They aren't wrong about restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which would reap benefits for pretty much the whole world. But we know that the deployment would only begin once there was, presumably, a cease-fire in place. President Trump has indicated that any cease-fire would have to include Iran agreeing not to interfere with Hormuz traffic, which may prompt one to ask France, at this point, "What do we need you for?"
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France does have some interests in the area. Also on Wednesday, a French container ship was "struck" in the Strait of Hormuz, with several crew members reportedly injured. The ship was "targeted for attack," and it's for sure and for certain the attack didn't come from an American ship or aircraft. That leaves Iran.
French shipping giant CMA CGM confirmed to POLITICO that its vessel, the San Antonio, was targeted, as a ceasefire between the United States and Iran has frayed in recent days.
“The CMA CGM Group confirms that one of its vessels … was the target of an attack yesterday while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in injuries among crew members and damage to the vessel,” the company said in a statement, adding that injured seafarers have been evacuated and are receiving medical care.
Around 40 countries are now taking part in, or are considering taking part in, a Strait of Hormuz peacekeeping mission, once the shooting has stopped, and once the United States starts letting Iranian ships in and out of their ports, that being the only really effective blockade going on there right now. Which, again, is interesting timing. While we still don't know what form any support from these nations might take, any military support after a cease-fire seems to be pretty much the definition of closing the barn door after the horse has left.
The situation continues to develop. Stay tuned.
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