Macron says France is not participating in the Persian Gulf escort mission at this time; Trump: We don't need any help from anyone

French President Macron said on Tuesday that, in the current "bombing" context, it is impossible for France to participate in the "operation" to ensure the security of the Strait of Hormuz, but once the situation becomes "more calm", French warships could participate in "escort" for ships on this strategically important waterway for the world economy.

Macron said at the beginning of a defense committee meeting at the Elysée Palace: "We are not a party to the conflict, so in the current situation, France will never participate in an operation to open up or liberate the Strait of Hormuz," rejecting the joint escort request from US President Trump.

Trump insisted on Monday that US allies, especially major European powers, must overcome their obvious hesitation in maintaining the security of the strait, which is currently blocked by Iranian authorities. Like Paris, London and Berlin also expressed considerable reservations.

Macron added, "However, we believe that once the situation is more calm... that is, once the main bombing operations stop, we are ready to take responsibility for escorting oil tankers and container ships within the strait, along with other countries."

Macron emphasized that "this work requires consultation with Iran and taking 'de-escalation' measures (i.e., communication and information exchange procedures to prevent the situation from getting out of control – editor's note), because in any case, this cannot be a military operation." Macron had previously mentioned a similar initiative on March 9 in Cyprus.

Macron said that the task, which will be "formulated in the coming days and weeks," "must therefore be completely separated from the ongoing military operations and bombings." The French president also said he has discussed this with "India and several other European and regional partners," and expressed opposition to expanding the EU's "Aspis" operation, deployed in the Red Sea, to the Strait of Hormuz.

Macron pointed out, "This framework should not be extended to other operations." The EU foreign ministers met in Brussels on Monday and rejected the proposal to send the maritime traffic protection mission "Aspis" to the Strait of Hormuz.

In Washington, Trump posted on his social media platform "Truth Social" on Tuesday, saying, "The US has been told by most NATO 'allies' that they are unwilling to participate in our military actions in the Middle East against Iran's terrorist regime. Despite the fact that almost all countries strongly agree with the actions we are taking, and believe that Iran should never be allowed to have nuclear weapons."

Trump added, "I am not surprised by their behavior, because I have always thought that NATO is a one-way street - we spend billions of dollars every year protecting these countries, while they do nothing for us when we need them. Fortunately, we have severely weakened Iran's military - their navy is gone, their air force is gone, their air defense systems and radars are gone, and perhaps most importantly, their leaders, almost at all levels, are gone, and can no longer threaten us, our Middle Eastern allies, or the whole world!"

Trump claimed, "Because of our huge military success, we no longer 'need' or desire help from NATO countries - we have never needed it! Japan, Australia, and South Korea are the same. In fact, as the President of the United States - the strongest country in the world so far - we don't need any help from anyone! Thank you for your attention to this matter."

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1859951257257994/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.