Macron Pushes Diplomacy With Iran as First French Ship Passes Through Strait of Hormuz

Macron's language has grown more pointed as Washington has pressed allies to do more in the Gulf. On Thursday, Reuters reported that the French president said it was "unrealistic" to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by force, warning that such an operation would expose naval forces to attacks by Iran's Revolutionary Guards and missile threats. Two weeks earlier, he had taken an even firmer line, saying France would "never" take part in operations to unblock Hormuz while hostilities continue.

That message was reinforced in Seoul, where Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said they would work together to help reopen the strait and respond to the economic shock caused by the conflict. The two leaders tied their talks directly to the global fallout from Iran's blockade of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy chokepoints. The summit also produced a broader strategic upgrade in defense and energy, including planned cooperation on joint military exercises, defense production, nuclear fuel supply chains, semiconductors, critical minerals and wind power.

But Macron went further. During a speech at Yonsai University, he proposed a new world order away from the leadership of China or the U.S. He suggested "having an agenda shared by Korea, France, the other Europeans, Canada, Japan, India, Brazil, Australia, you start having a third way.Those who don't want to be dependent on China, or aligned by definition, on the US."

He also took a moment to repeat his position on the escalation of violence in the Middle East.

"Iran is a very bad regime. No discussion about that. I disagree on a lot of topics," he said. "But I don't agree we will fix the situation just by bombings or military operations (...) Look at what happened in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya - we never delivered.

He added that political change must come from within. "You have to respect the sovereignty of people, if people want to change a regime, they can do so," Macron said.

For Macron, the moment carried extra weight because in came a day after the Malta-flagged Kribi, owned by French shipping giant CMA CGM, crossed the Strait of Hormuz, becoming the first French-owned vessel to do so since U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran began in late February. Before entering Iranian waters, the ship changed its AIS destination to "Owner France," an apparent attempt to underscore its nationality and non-hostile status. Neither CMA CGM nor the French government publicly explained how the vessel secured safe passage.