France deploys carrier group toward Red Sea over Hormuz security concerns

France is deploying its carrier strike group toward the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to support maritime security efforts in the region, the French defense ministry said Wednesday.

“The situation in the Strait of Hormuz has a global impact,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that France “is not a party to the conflict” and remains committed to international law and sovereignty.

The aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its escort vessels crossed the Suez Canal on Wednesday, heading toward the southern Red Sea.

The ministry said French forces have been operating in a “defensive posture” since Feb. 28 and are contributing to a multinational initiative involving more than 40 countries aimed at restoring safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

The deployment is intended to “assess the regional operational environment in advance,” while also offering “additional options for crisis response” to enhance regional security.

It added that the carrier group would help “integrate partner capabilities into a defensive and adapted framework,” in line with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The move is also aimed at “reassuring maritime trade actors,” the ministry said.

The ministry stressed that the deployment is “distinct from ongoing military operations in the region” and is meant to complement existing security arrangements.

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, triggering retaliation from Tehran against Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. The truce was later extended by US President Donald Trump without a set deadline.

Since April 13, the US has enforced a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the strait.