KABUL: France has rejected a request from U.S. President Donald Trump to deploy a warship to the Strait of Hormuz to help prevent its closure by Iran, according to media reports.
News website BalkanWeb reported late Saturday, citing the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that Paris will not send naval forces to the strategic waterway.
Trump had earlier called on several countries, including China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, to deploy warships to ensure the strait remains open.
However, France said its naval forces would remain stationed in the Mediterranean Sea in a defensive and protective posture.
Trump previously argued that countries receiving oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, including China and Britain, should help safeguard the passage.
The development comes as global oil prices have risen following Iran’s move to close the strait, putting additional pressure on Washington amid the ongoing conflict with Tehran.