Newsletters
France’s aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle was heading toward the southern Red Sea on Wednesday to pre-position for a possible mission aimed at restoring navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the French presidency and defense ministry said.
President Emmanuel Macron’s office said the deployment was intended to send “a signal that not only are we ready to secure the Strait of Hormuz but that we are also capable of doing so.”
The flagship of the French Navy and its escort vessels was transiting the Suez Canal on its way to the southern Red Sea, according to the defense ministry.
The ministry said the decision was intended “to reduce the time needed to implement this initiative as soon as circumstances allow.”
Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are leading a multinational mission to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. They have emphasized that the force would be entirely defensive and would only be deployed once lasting peace in the region was agreed.
More than 40 countries have begun military planning in London.
“The movement of the carrier strike group is separate from the military operations initiated in the region and complements the security posture,” the defense ministry said.
The ministry said the carrier’s presence near the Gulf would allow “an early assessment of the regional operational environment ahead of the possible launch of the initiative.”
It added that the deployment would also “offer additional crisis-exit options to strengthen the security of the region.”
The Charles de Gaulle carries around 20 Rafale fighter jets and is escorted by several frigates.
The aircraft carrier set sail from the southeastern French port city of Toulon in January for a deployment to the North Atlantic.
In early March, however, it was redirected to the eastern Mediterranean to defend French interests and allied countries struck by Iran’s retaliation for Israeli-U.S. attacks.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
