French President Emmanuel Macron said tensions around the Strait of Hormuz had disrupted energy shipments and driven up fuel prices, adding that the U.S. was one of the countries that could help resolve the crisis.
In an interview with ABC News, Macron assessed tensions in the Middle East and disruptions along strategic energy routes, saying he did not want to blame anyone. He said the issue was not limited to Iran and noted that reopening the Strait of Hormuz had also become one of the central problems.
Macron’s main objective regarding Iran
During the interview, Macron was reminded that U.S. President Donald Trump had described the rise in fuel prices as a “small price” to pay as part of the U.S. war with Iran. It was also noted that fuel prices in France had reached record levels and that pressure was mounting on the government, which was facing a budget deficit.
Macron said his priority was to ensure that Iran did not possess nuclear weapons. Saying that regime change in Iran could not be achieved by bombing the country, Macron said similar “mistakes” had been made in the past.
Call for an agreement to reopen the strait
Macron said Iran’s leadership viewed the Strait of Hormuz as leverage and that, in his contacts with Trump and other officials in New York, he had made finding the right agreement to reopen the strait a priority.
Asked whether France would provide military support to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Macron said they did not want to enter into a conflict with any country. At the same time, he announced that they were ready to take on greater responsibility to secure passage and protect certain capabilities.
Macron said the issue of the Strait of Hormuz had probably not been taken sufficiently into account during the war and that this needed to be corrected. Asked whether Trump might not have anticipated the issue sufficiently during the war, he declined to comment and reiterated that he did not want to blame anyone.
Macron says he could persuade Trump on Ukraine
Macron said he did not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted peace on Ukraine and added that Ukraine was one of the areas in which it could persuade Donald Trump. He said his relationship with the U.S. president was very good and that the two leaders were quite open with each other.
Macron did not comment on a map posted by Trump on his social media account that showed the Caribbean region, Canada, Mexico and some of France’s overseas territories as part of U.S. territory.
Macron said new conflicts and tensions should not be created, adding that the world was going through a period in which the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as the race in artificial intelligence and technology, were all on the agenda.
