French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday, 7 May 2025 called on "all parties" to lift the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz "without delay and without conditions," following a telephone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The appeal marks one of Paris's most direct public interventions in the ongoing US-Iran standoff since a ceasefire was reached in April.

What Macron Said

Posting on social media platform X on Wednesday evening local time, Macron stated: "We must return permanently to the regime of full freedom of navigation that prevailed before the conflict." He described a forthcoming multinational escort mission, jointly launched by France and Britain, as a key instrument toward restoring that freedom. The French president also confirmed his intention to raise the matter with US President Donald Trump, according to reporting by Xinhua news agency.

The Franco-British Naval Initiative

The Franco-British initiative, Macron emphasised, "will by its nature be separate from the warring parties." The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is currently heading toward the southern Red Sea to reduce the time required to implement the mission "as soon as circumstances permit," according to a press release issued on Wednesday by the French defence ministry. The initiative has reportedly brought together more than forty nations, though it will not be activated as long as US-Iranian hostilities continue, the ministry noted. Macron called on Iran to "seize the opportunity."

Iran's Position

President Pezeshkian, for his part, indicated that Iran is prepared to pursue diplomatic channels to end the war with the United States and Israel, while insisting on safeguarding what he described as "the Iranian nation's rights." He expressed deep distrust of Washington, citing what he characterised as two attacks on Iran during bilateral negotiations — actions he described as "stabbing Iran in the back," according to a statement published on the website of his office.

Background: The US-Iran War and Ceasefire

The conflict began with US and Israeli attacks on 28 February, lasting 40 days before a ceasefire was reached on 8 April involving Iran, the United States, and Israel. One round of post-ceasefire peace talks was held in Islamabad, Pakistan on 11 and 12 April, which failed to produce an agreement. Since then, the two sides have exchanged several proposed plans, with the latest reportedly under review by Tehran.

A Deal on the Horizon

The Macron-Pezeshkian call came on the same day that Axios reported the United States and Iran are closing in on a one-page memo to formally end their war, according to Xinhua. A potential deal would reportedly involve Iran committing to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, while the United States agrees to lift sanctions — with both sides lifting restrictions on transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Whether Paris's diplomatic push accelerates or complicates that bilateral track remains to be seen.