France prioritizes reopening of Hormuz Strait, Macron tells UN

France is leading the charge to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply flows. President Emmanuel Macron told the UN General Assembly in September 2026 that restoring navigation through the strait is a “cardinal principle of international law,” framing the crisis as one that extends far beyond the Middle East and into every economy that depends on stable energy prices. A coalition of the concerned France’s diplomatic push has been building for months. An international summit on April 17, 2026, brought together approximately 50 to 51 countries, all calling for the immediate reopening of the strait. The coalition has proposed a multinational maritime mission focused strictly on defensive operations, contingent on a sustainable ceasefire being in place first. Macron has consistently ruled out any forced reopening of the strait while active hostilities continue, a position he staked out publicly as early as March 2026. In practical terms, that means France’s Charles de Gaulle carrier group, which can deploy within days, stays parked until diplomacy clears a path. Macron’s address to the UN reinforced this framework. The reope...