Iran warns against French-British naval deployment in Strait of Hormuz

Shafaq News- Tehran

Any French or British military deployment in the Strait of Hormuz under the pretext of protecting maritime navigation would amount to the “militarization” of the strategic waterway and could provoke a response from Tehran, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi warned on Sunday.

Quoted by state television, Gharibabadi argued that maritime security cannot be achieved through “military displays of force,” particularly by parties “that are themselves part of the problem.” He also described the Strait of Hormuz as a sensitive regional waterway rather than “common property for powers from outside the region.”

French President Emmanuel Macron, however, clarified during a press conference in Nairobi that Paris had “never considered” sending warships into the strait, instead backing a maritime security arrangement “coordinated with Iran.”

Earlier this week, the French armed forces said a carrier strike group was moving toward the Red Sea ahead of a possible future mission. Reuters linked the deployment to a joint French-British initiative aimed at securing navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.