Unrealistic to liberate Strait of Hormuz through force: French President Macron

Seoul: Calling for resumption of talks to resolve the ongoing conflict in West Asia, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that it would be “unrealistic” to conduct military operation to liberate the Strait of Hormuz.

“There are those who advocate for the liberation of the Strait of Hormuz by force through a military operation, a position sometimes expressed by the United States. It is unrealistic because it would take an inordinate amount of time and would expose anyone crossing the strait to coastal threats from the (Iranian) Revolutionary Guards, who possess significant resources, as well as ballistic missiles, (and) a host of other risks,” Euro News quoted Macron as saying during his State Visit to South Korea.

“This can only be done in concert with Iran. So, first and foremost, there must be a ceasefire and a resumption of negotiations,” he added.

The ongoing conflict in West Asia has raised concerns over regional stability and global energy markets, particularly due to the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil transit route.

Macron accused US President Donald Trump of creating confusion by repeatedly contradicting himself on the West Asian conflict.

“You have to be serious. When you want to be serious, you don’t say the opposite every day of what you said the day before. And perhaps you shouldn’t talk every day.”

He also accused Trump of undermining North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) by creating “daily doubt” about the US commitment to the alliance, Euro News reported.

“If you create daily doubt about your commitment, you hollow it out,” Macron said, adding that there is “too much talk … going off in all directions.”

Trump has repeatedly criticised NATO, questioned its relevance in modern conflicts, and suggested the alliance may not support the United States in a major war.

Speaking at a White House Easter lunch on Wednesday, Trump said recent military operations exposed deep weaknesses within the transatlantic alliance. “We’ve had some very bad allies in NATO,” he said, adding that the bloc had failed to step forward when asked.

He described NATO as ineffective in real conflict situations. “They’re a paper tiger,” Trump said, asserting that the US did not need the alliance’s help during ongoing operations.

Trump said he had reached out to multiple NATO members seeking support but received little commitment. “Many of them said, we’ll be there after the war is completed,” he said, criticising what he described as delayed and symbolic backing.

The US President said that this response reinforced his concerns about NATO’s reliability. “NATO won’t be there if we ever have the big one,” he said, warning that the alliance may fail in a major global conflict.

Trump also pointed to what he described as an imbalance in burden-sharing. He said the US had spent “trillions of dollars on NATO” while receiving little in return when support was sought.

In his remarks, as per the video posted by the White House on its YouTube channel, Trump singled out key allies, including France and the UK, suggesting they were unwilling or slow to provide assistance. The video was later reportedly pulled out from YouTube by the White House.

IANS