(FOX NEWS) — The office of French President Emmanuel Macron announced Wednesday that the country’s only aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, is heading toward the southern Red Sea ahead of a possible mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a report said.
The news agency AFP cited Macron’s office as saying that the move is 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”.
“Since February 28, the French Armed Forces have been acting in a defensive posture. Alongside the British and their partners, they have worked on a multinational initiative — the result of ad hoc planning involving more than forty nations — aimed at contributing to the restoration of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, in coordination with coastal states,” France’s defense ministry said Wednesday.
“To reduce the implementation delays of this initiative as soon as circumstances allow, the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its escorts are crossing the Suez Canal on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, en route to the southern Red Sea,” it added.
It also said, “The movement of the carrier strike group is distinct from other military operations initiated in the region and complements the existing security measures.”
