French urges ceasefire compliance, Strait of Hormuz reopening amid US-Israel-Iran tensions
France’s President Emmanuel Macron
Abdullateef Fowewe
French President, Emmanuel Macron has called for an immediate resumption of stalled negotiations in the ongoing 2026 US-Israel-Iran conflict, emphasising strict adherence to a ceasefire and the unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement released Tuesday, Macron detailed discussions with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump.
“Yesterday, I met with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian, as well as with American President Donald Trump,” he wrote.
He urged resuming “the negotiations interrupted in Islamabad, for clarifying misunderstandings, and for avoiding new phases of escalation.”
Macron stressed the need for all parties to fully respect the ceasefire, extending it explicitly to Lebanon.
“It is essential in particular that the ceasefire be strictly respected by all, and that it include Lebanon,” he stated.
He also demanded swift action on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil and LNG shipments disrupted since late February.
“It is equally important that the Strait of Hormuz be reopened unconditionally, without controls or tolls, as soon as possible,” the French leader added.
Under these preconditions, Macron said negotiations could restart “quickly, with the support of the main stakeholders.”
To advance de-escalation efforts, France and the United Kingdom will co-host a conference in Paris this Friday, Dailyeconomy reports.
The virtual gathering will include non-belligerent countries committed to a “multilateral and purely defensive mission, aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the strait when security conditions permit.”
The initiative comes as tensions persist in the region, with the Islamabad talks having collapsed earlier this month.
