From Poland, French President Emmanuel Macron indicated on Monday, April 20 that “France has not taken sides” in the Strait of Hormuz, which has been closed again by Iran after a brief reopening.
“Several tankers and container ships have begun to exit the Strait of Hormuz, it is likely that following the American decision to maintain a targeted blockade on Hormuz, (…) the Iranian authorities have changed their initial position,” explains Emmanuel Macron.
The head of state noted an error “on both sides”: the United States imposing a blockade on Iranian ports, but also the Iranian regime deciding to close the Strait of Hormuz.
“It is necessary to continue to calm spirits,” he said. “They then proceeded with alerts and warning shots which led the crews to retreat, and they were right, there was no damage or injuries among the French side,” he assures. The head of state then calls for the “consolidation” of the “unconditional” and “toll-free” reopening of this commercial route. This call comes after 49 “non-belligerent” countries also requested the “full reopening” of the strait.
The countries also said they were ready for “a neutral mission” to secure the Strait of Hormuz.
“We must continue to calm spirits, to move towards the reopening of this important route for international trade, international energy security, and also because of the direct consequences for the lives of our compatriots,” adds Emmanuel Macron.
After the closure of this route, several commercial vessels faced gunfire and threats from the Iranian military as they tried to cross the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.
A CMA CGM ship also “came under (…) warning fire” in the Strait of Hormuz on the same day.
Original article published on BFMTV.com
