French warship heads to Hormuz Strait for potential defensive operation

A French aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, is en route to the Strait of Hormuz in preparation for a potential defensive mission aimed at restoring safe navigation through the waterway. The strait, which has been effectively blocked amid the conflict between the US and Iran, is a critical passage for global oil trade.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are leading a multinational effort to restore freedom of navigation in the strait. According to Macron, this mission would be entirely defensive and deployed only once the war ended. The French president stated that the goal of the mission is to help restore confidence among shipowners and insurers.

Macron also plans to discuss the matter with US President Donald Trump, who has expressed optimism about the possibility of an agreement that could bring the war to an end. However, Trump has also warned that he would resume bombing if Tehran did not accept the US plan.

Meanwhile, Iran is reviewing a US proposal that Trump claims could lead to an end to the conflict. The two sides remain at odds over various issues, including Iran’s nuclear program and control of the strait.

According to reports, the US and Iran are close to agreeing on a one-page memorandum to formally end the conflict. Under this agreement, Iran would agree not to develop a nuclear weapon and halt uranium enrichment for 12 years, while the US would lift sanctions and release billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets. Both sides would also agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days of signing.

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that it has yet to provide its response to the US proposal and is conducting an investigation into the exchanged texts.

Source: Al Jazeera