«If some people often mistakenly believe that this is not our conflict and that it is far away, unfortunately it has effects on us.» Cédric Perrin, president (LR) of the foreign affairs, defense, and armed forces committee, reminds on March 25th that France is somehow affected by the dramatic events unfolding in Iran, and more broadly in that region of the world, where 20% of the world’s hydrocarbon supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
Last Thursday, Emmanuel Macron indicated that France would only adopt a defensive posture, to protect its interests in the region, and its allies with whom it has security treaties. He also mentioned the possibility of a “UN framework” for a future mission to secure navigation in the Persian Gulf, where 20% of the world’s oil transits. «The French position, and I will say this tonight, seems perfectly balanced», reacted the senator from the Territory of Belfort. He will speak later in the evening, during a debate following the government’s statement at the Senate, on the situation in the Middle East.
«I don’t know what [France] will be able to do. In any case, if they do something, it will have to be perfectly controlled», he emphasized, stressing the need for “maximum security conditions”. «The issue of the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait [Strait of the Red Sea], these are major topics that have been discussed for a very long time by the navy, with potentially very dangerous consequences.»
