Macron calls for Hormuz reopening after Iran talks, ‘lift blockade without delay’
PARIS, FRANCE: French President Emmanuel Macron stepped more directly into the escalating Gulf crisis on Wednesday, May 6, calling for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz after holding talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
With global shipping routes disrupted for nearly two months and energy markets under pressure, Macron said restoring freedom of navigation could become the first major step toward wider diplomatic progress.
Je viens de m’entretenir avec le Président iranien Massoud Pezeshkian.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 6, 2026
J’ai marqué ma vive préoccupation sur l'escalade en cours, et condamné les frappes injustifiées contre les infrastructures civiles émiriennes et plusieurs navires.
Toutes les parties doivent lever le blocus…
Macron demands Hormuz's reopening
In a detailed post on X following his conversation with Pezeshkian, Macron said he conveyed his “deep concern” over the continuing escalation in the region and condemned what he described as unjustified strikes on civilian infrastructure in the Gulf, as well as attacks involving commercial vessels.
But Macron’s strongest message centered on the shipping crisis.
“All parties must lift the blockade of the Strait, without delay and without conditions,” Macron wrote.
“We must durably return to the regime of full freedom of navigation that prevailed before the conflict.”
The French president said the crisis had moved beyond a regional dispute and was now affecting global confidence among shipping companies, insurers, and energy markets.
To help stabilize the corridor, Macron pointed to a joint maritime mission being coordinated by France and the United Kingdom, saying the deployment of the Charles de Gaulle would help reassure commercial operators.
“The multinational mission that France and the United Kingdom have set up can help restore confidence among shipowners and insurers,” Macron wrote, adding that the force would remain separate from the combatants currently involved in the conflict.
He also revealed that he plans to raise the issue directly with President Donald Trump, while urging Tehran to seize what he described as an opening for diplomacy.
Macron argued that a calmer Gulf could help unlock stalled discussions on Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Strait closure shapes diplomacy
Macron’s intervention comes as the shipping crisis in the Strait of Hormuz continues to weigh on international markets.
The blockade began after US and Israeli strikes on Iran earlier this year, triggering retaliatory actions from Tehran and forcing dozens of oil tankers and cargo ships to reroute or remain stranded.
The Trump administration has been pursuing parallel military and diplomatic tracks.
On Wednesday, Trump threatened to resume a higher level of bombing Iran if a deal is not reached. He also said that it was too soon for a US delegation to visit Pakistan for peace talks.
