Macron right to snub US Hormuz mission, French defense expert says

France should not do the United States’ job of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, as it is the Americans who bear direct responsibility for the crisis.

This opinion was expressed by Bruno Tertrais, Deputy Director of the French Foundation for Strategic Research, in a comment to Ukrinform.

“We are not going to do the Americans’ job when they themselves are responsible – perhaps morally and certainly in some respects – for what is happening there today. In any case, in my view, France has taken the right position,” Tertrais said.

At the same time, he noted that France is currently involved in its largest defense operation in the Middle East in decades.

“There are around fifty Rafale fighter jets, about fifteen ships, and eight thousand troops on the ground. This is a major operation clearly aimed at protecting our interests, our citizens, and our allies. But if Europeans were to join the Americans in security operations and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the US would want to control everything. That would mean we would only serve as auxiliary forces,” the expert explained.

He also stressed that in this situation, it is important to distinguish between the goals of the Americans and the Israelis.

“We have been talking about this from the very beginning, and now we are seeing this reality. I think that if Trump decided to say, ‘this is where I stop because I have won,’ the Israelis, on the contrary, would want to continue. It is very clear that Trump’s America is not guided by a regime-change logic. This is not Bush in 2003, who supposedly brought democracy. The Israelis, on the other hand, say they will create conditions for regime change and will continue to ‘mow the lawn’ – that is their expression – until a popular uprising begins. This war is very popular in Israel; it is referred to there as ‘cutting off the head of the snake,’ as the ultimate goal is seen as regime change in Tehran,” Tertrais said.

In his view, for Israelis this is an “existential war.”

“They will therefore stop only when the United States truly forces them to do so. If Trump tells Netanyahu, ‘You must stop, otherwise I will halt all military aid,’ then it will become difficult for the Israelis,” the French analyst concluded.

As reported by Ukrinform, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the United States did not consult European partners regarding the military operation against Iran and did not consider their support necessary.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine