French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, 24 September 2026, called for the Strait of Hormuz crisis to be separated from the Iranian nuclear issue in any future negotiations between the United States and Iran, as shipping traffic through the vital waterway remains below its usual levels before the war broke out in late February.
Macron separates Hormuz security from nuclear issue
In televised remarks, Macron said the strait’s closure was the main reason behind the rise in global energy prices, stressing that reaching an arrangement allowing shipping traffic to resume was a priority. The French president had discussed with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, during their meeting in New York, options for reopening the strait and limiting the repercussions affecting energy markets and international trade.
In an interview with ABC News, Macron said the main purpose of his meeting with Trump was to reach an appropriate agreement to open the strait, adding that the Hormuz crisis may not have been sufficiently appreciated when the war broke out. He stressed that France did not want to enter into a confrontation with any country, but was prepared to take on additional responsibilities to protect capabilities enabling ships to pass.
International plan to protect ships in the strait
France, in coordination with the United States, has begun preparing a draft resolution at the UN Security Council concerning the establishment of an international mission to restore shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, according to diplomats who spoke to Reuters. The proposal is based on member states coordinating efforts to protect commercial shipping, without adopting an offensive stance towards Iran or linking the security of the waterway to other regional and nuclear disputes.
The French position coincided with around 80 countries calling for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened urgently and for ships to be allowed to pass safely without fees, conditions or restrictions on navigation. Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani read out a joint statement on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings, saying Iran’s actions in the strait continued to threaten international security and freedom and rights of navigation.
The signatory countries also condemned attacks attributed to Iran and its Houthi allies, as well as the disruption affecting international trade and energy supplies. They warned that simultaneous instability in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab posed a threat to the security of shipping lanes and global supply chains.
US-Iranian talks on reopening Hormuz
Meanwhile, the United States and Iran are discussing a gradual path out of the war in talks in New York. Sources close to the discussions said the proposed arrangement included Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for Washington lifting the economic blockade imposed on Iran.
Tehran is linking progress towards reopening the strait to easing US military pressure and lifting the blockade on its ports. A senior Iranian official said his country could reopen the waterway within seven days if the United States took these steps, stressing that the Iranian delegation attending the General Assembly meetings had the authority to revive the diplomatic track.
Traffic rises but remains below previous levels
Reuters was unable to independently verify the figures provided by the US official. Nevertheless, the data reflects an increase in traffic compared with earlier levels during the war, while remaining below the rate recorded before the fighting began.
Before the US and Israeli attacks on Iran began on 28 February 2026, around 125 large commercial vessels passed through the strait daily, including oil and gas tankers, container ships and bulk carriers. Energy supplies transported through it accounted for around 20 per cent of the world’s daily supplies of crude oil and liquefied natural gas.
The Strait of Hormuz has become a key bargaining chip in efforts to end the war between Washington and Tehran, which has continued for nearly seven months. Iran is seeking the lifting of the US blockade, which is putting pressure on its economy, while the United States is demanding guarantees for the free passage of ships through the waterway, one of the most important routes for transporting global energy supplies.
In a separate matter, Macron said Russia was doubling what he described as hostile and criminal acts against European countries.
At the same time, he denied that France had received information from the US Central Intelligence Agency about the possibility of a Russian drone attack in the south of the country.
