French President Emmanuel Macron announced on May 6 (local time) that the French aircraft carrier strike group is moving south of the Suez Canal and entering the Red Sea to prepare for a potential French and British mission in the Strait of Hormuz. This move brings Europe's strongest warship closer to the Strait of Hormuz.
This defense effort is separate from the US "Freedom Project" campaign launched on May 4 but was temporarily suspended by President Donald Trump on the evening of May 5.
The re-deployment of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and escort ships is part of a plan for a mission promoted by France and Britain, to restore maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz as soon as conditions permit.
Mr. Macron wrote on social network X that this task "may help restore the trust of ship owners and insurance companies", while emphasizing that this campaign "does not side with the warring parties".
After a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on May 6, President Macron said he would also discuss this issue with President Trump.
Colonel Guillaume Vernet - Spokesman for the Chief of the French Armed Forces - said that the Hormuz alliance (built by France, Britain and more than 50 countries) will not start operating until it meets 2 conditions: The threat to maritime operations must be reduced and the maritime transport industry must be assured to return to moving through this strait.
Mr. Vernet did not specify when the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier will arrive in the deployment area. He revealed that the ship is being deployed in a position close enough to act if necessary conditions are met.
The aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle was previously deployed from the Baltic Sea to the eastern Mediterranean not long after the conflict broke out. The French Presidential Palace described this as an "unprecedented" force mobilization, including 8 small destroyers and 2 Mistral-class amphibious assault ships.
Meanwhile, French Rafale fighters stationed at Al Dhafra airbase in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have intercepted Iranian drones and missiles in the airspace of this Gulf nation since the conflict broke out. This operation is carried out under a long-standing defense treaty between Paris and Abu Dhabi, where there are currently about 900 French soldiers stationed on the southern coast of the Gulf.
The French announcement was made at the time a French container ship was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, injuring many sailors.
French shipping group CMA CGM confirmed that the company's San Antonio ship became a target of attack while moving through the Strait of Hormuz, causing some crew members to be injured and the ship to be damaged.
According to CMA CGM, the injured sailors have been evacuated and are receiving medical treatment. The ship turned off the positioning signal before entering the Strait of Hormuz, making the exact location of the attack unknown.
French government spokesman Maud Bregeon emphasized: "The attacks on CMA CGM ships show that the situation is still very dangerous. The ship does not fly the French flag. Therefore, at the present time, France is not a target.
She emphasized: "Both Iran and the US must understand that restoring freedom of navigation is a common interest.
