PARIS, April 11 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron called for a "strong, lasting" diplomatic solution in the Middle East during a telephone conversation on Saturday with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The two leaders discussed the regional situation to call for "adherence to the ceasefire and its implementation in Lebanon, for the preservation of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," Macron said on X. They also "emphasized the necessity of a strong, lasting diplomatic solution."
The Strait is a vital global shipping corridor that typically handles about one-fifth of the world's oil flows. However, after the Iran war erupted on Feb. 28 following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes, traffic through the waterway was effectively halted, sending energy prices sharply higher and disrupting the global economy.
A two-week ceasefire was announced on Wednesday, as U.S. and Iranian negotiators arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan's capital, for peace talks.
France is currently "in contact with some fifteen countries to work on the operationalization" of an international mission intended to facilitate the resumption of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said Thursday.
The proposed mission model would involve "a military escort for commercial vessels, in a strictly defensive posture and in coordination with the parties, including Iran and Oman," Confavreux said.
According to shipping data and experts' observations, vessel movements through the Strait of Hormuz remain limited following the ceasefire, as Iran continues to maintain firm control over the strategic waterway. ■
