The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, with 1,850 sailors on board, has been deployed in the eastern Mediterranean since early March due to the outbreak of war between Israel and the United States with Iran. President Emmanuel Macron stated on March 9th, “France did not trigger this conflict, it is not involved. But we are acting as a peace power, a power of balance. This is the strict framework in which we operate today.”
Three weeks after its deployment, the flagship of the French Navy is still in the eastern Mediterranean, somewhere off the coast of Crete. It is monitoring the area, providing information on activities in the sky and at sea. The flight deck, with its 20 Rafale fighter jets, is constantly in use. The naval flagship is not engaging in combat against Iran but is trying to deter and prevent Tehran’s attacks on allied countries, particularly European ones like Cyprus.
Since its arrival, the vessel has not been targeted by missiles or drones fired by Iran, and its mission remains purely defensive. Its goal is also to ensure the protection of French interests in the Middle East, its 400,000 nationals, and the ships sailing in the area.
The Charles de Gaulle is surrounded by a protective bubble in face of the escalating conflict in the Middle East. It is escorted by several warships, the naval group GAN. For this mission, it is also accompanied by three foreign frigates, from Spain, Ireland, and Italy.
Furthermore, the carrier plays a critical role in the potential reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Designed for multiple mission types, the Charles de Gaulle could be tasked with securing the strait, a maritime corridor along the Iranian coast, to resume traffic flow. It could escort oil tankers and container ships, utilizing its intelligence capabilities to observe activities over thousands of kilometers. This mission was previously conducted by its predecessor, the Clemenceau, during the tanker war about forty years ago in the Persian Gulf.
The French president emphasized that the French carrier would not act alone but only as part of an international coalition once hostilities cease.
Context note: The deployment of the Charles de Gaulle in the Mediterranean is part of France’s efforts to maintain stability in the region amidst rising tensions between Iran, Israel, and the US.
Fact Check note: The presence of the Charles de Gaulle in the eastern Mediterranean is primarily defensive and focused on intelligence-gathering and deterrence rather than direct combat operations against Iran.
