Iran Warns France And Britain Against Warship Deployments Near Strait Of Hormuz

Iran warned France and Britain against deploying naval vessels to the Strait of Hormuz, saying any such move would escalate tensions and militarize the strategic waterway.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in a social media post that "any deployment of extra-regional warships around the Strait of Hormuz under the pretext of 'protecting shipping' is nothing but an escalation of the crisis and the militarization of a vital waterway."

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Gharibabadi stressed "Maritime security cannot be ensured through a show of military power," and said only Iran can guarantee security in the strait.

The warning came as a tanker named Agios Fanourios I passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday via an Iran-designated route after coordinating with Iranian authorities, according to the Tasnim news agency cited in the report.

French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking during his visit to Kenya, said France had "never envisaged" a naval deployment in the Strait of Hormuz, but rather a security mission to be "coordinated with Iran."

As Iran issued its warning, the British government announced that British Secretary of State for Defense John Healey and French Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin would co-chair a multinational meeting on Tuesday involving over 40 countries to discuss military plans aimed at restoring trade through the strait.

Healey said, "We are turning diplomatic agreement into practical military plans to restore confidence for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz," while the meeting was described as the first Defence Minister’s meeting following a two-day gathering in London in April.

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Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi warned that Britain and France’s warships "or those of any other country" would meet "a decisive and immediate response," and added that "Only the Islamic Republic of Iran can establish security in this strait."

Macron later emphasized that France had "never considered" a naval deployment in the Strait of Hormuz but rather a security mission that would be "coordinated with Iran," and he said he was sticking to opposition to a blockade from either side.

The Financial Times report cited in the same coverage said Iran maintains hundreds of fast-attack craft forming a fleet, dispersed along its southern coast and concealed in coves, caves and tunnels.

The dispute over Hormuz comes as the Strait of Hormuz remains restricted and the fallout from the Iran war continues to threaten economic instability around the world, with the strait described as a vital waterway through which about a fifth of the world’s oil supply flows.

The Times of Israel said that before the US-Israeli war on Iran started on February 28, about a fifth of the world’s oil was shipped through the strait, but that has been throttled since the war as Iran largely closed the strait, driving up oil prices.

In the same period, the United States imposed its own blockade of Iranian ports in response, while Reuters reported that negotiations had failed and oil prices rose, with Brent crude futures climbing $3.21 to $104.50 a barrel by just after 6 p.m. ET on May 10.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi warned that any French or British warships potentially accompanying "illegal and internationally unlawful actions of the United States" in the strait would be met with a decisive and immediate response.

Macron said France’s goal is a "security mission" to be carried out "in coordination with Iran," and he said France opposes any blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by either side and rejects "any tolls or transit fees" to ensure that ships can pass freely.