France, March 18 -- Speaking on Tuesday at the start of a defence council meeting at the Elysee Palace, Macron firmly rejected calls from US President Donald Trump for allies to help reopen the strategic waterway, which Iran has blocked. "We are not a party to the conflict," he said, adding that France would "never take part in operations to open or liberate the Strait of Hormuz in the current context".

However, the French president signalled that France could play a role in safeguarding shipping routes once tensions ease - underlining a cautious but forward-looking approach to a crisis with global economic implications.

Striking a more optimistic note about the future, Macron said once "the main bombardments have ceased", France would ...