French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed Tuesday that Paris will contribute to a defensive international maritime operation to secure shipping lanes in the Middle East. Speaking with ABC News, Macron stated that France is ready to be more engaged to protect the transit capacities of the Strait of Hormuz to resolve a global energy crisis. The move follows a meeting with US President Donald Trump on Monday, which Macron identified as a primary effort to find a deal that would effectively reopen the waterway after previous risks were underestimated.

France's commitment to the shipping operation comes as Macron continues to distance his country from the broader war against Iran involving the US and Israel, which he described as the wrong option. In New York, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the French position unacceptable, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that any vessels attempting to force the strait open would be sunk. Macron also rejected the possibility of regime change in Iran via bombing, calling the strategy unfeasible.