As the UK dithers, France slowly increases naval pressure on Iran

The French Navy has just deployed a carrier strike group from the Mediterranean Sea into the Red Sea. This move signifies increasing preparation for efforts to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. While President Emmanuel Macron remains too timid in the face of Iran’s closure of the key energy chokepoint, he is at least showing tentative recognition that the current situation is untenable.

The Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier and two to three frigates are now able to either assist in intercepting missiles via any possible enjoinment of the conflict by the Houthi rebels in Yemen. As USNI News reports, the French already have two FREMM-class frigates operating in the Red Sea in addition to the carrier group. The Strait of Hormuz thus appears front of mind here. France and the United Kingdom have spent weeks discussing a Hormuz security operation, albeit without tangible results.

We shouldn’t exaggerate the importance of this deployment,