France has declined US President Donald Trump’s request to deploy its warships to the Strait of Hormuz.
A spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry said the French aircraft carrier fleet is currently stationed in the eastern Mediterranean.
The spokesperson added that France’s defence position remains unchanged and it will not send warships to the Strait of Hormuz.
It is worth noting that US President Donald Trump has said that the United States will soon reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ensure that it is safe and free for navigation. He has also called on allied countries to send warships for this purpose.
President Trump wrote in a post on the social media platform Truth Social that he hopes China, France, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom will send warships to the important waterway to prevent any potential threat from Iran.
He added that many countries are considering sending warships to keep this vital global trade route open and secure. According to Trump, the United States will continue its military operations in the meantime.
On the other hand, in an interview, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that Iran will continue to take all possible measures to defend itself and that the attacks on American allies were carried out in retaliation.
The Iranian foreign minister said that American forces are attacking Iran from the territory of Gulf countries, and that Iran is only targeting American installations and military bases.
He added that Iranian forces have provided safe passage to ships from many countries, and that several nations have approached Iran seeking safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
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