Iran Issues Military Warning Over French, British Naval Presence

(MENAFN) Iran escalated its warnings Sunday against a growing Western naval buildup near the Strait of Hormuz, threatening swift military retaliation if French or British vessels enter or operate around the critical waterway — a chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and gas supply flows.

Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi fired the warning shot in a post on the US social media platform X, taking direct aim at Paris and London over their announced plans to deploy naval assets to the region under the stated rationale of protecting maritime security.

Gharibabadi noted that France had announced the dispatch of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle toward the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in preparation for a future joint mission with Britain "aimed at strengthening freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz." He added that Britain had separately confirmed it would send a warship to the Red Sea in coordination with France.

The Iranian official denounced the movement of what he called "extra-regional destroyers" toward the Strait of Hormuz as "an escalation of the crisis" and the "militarization of a vital waterway," rejecting the maritime security justification outright.

"Maritime security cannot be ensured through displays of military might," he said, arguing that nations either actively supporting or remaining silent about US-Israeli aggression were "part of the problem."

Gharibabadi further disclosed that French officials had indicated the Charles de Gaulle mission would encompass mine-clearing operations and vessel escorts once conditions stabilize — details Tehran views as evidence of deeper interventionist intent.

"We remind them that, whether in times of war or peace, only the Islamic Republic of Iran can establish security in this strait and will not permit any country to interfere in such matters," he said.

The deputy minister's warning grew increasingly explicit as the statement progressed, directly naming the consequences of any coordinated Western presence.

"The presence of French and British ships, or those of any other country potentially coordinating with America's unlawful and internationally illegal actions in the Strait of Hormuz, will be met with a decisive and immediate response from the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

"They are strongly advised not to complicate the situation further," he added.

The confrontation is rooted in a cascade of events triggered on February 28, when US and Israeli strikes against Iran prompted Tehran to retaliate against Israel and American allies across the Gulf, culminating in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Diplomatic efforts to secure a full reopening of the waterway remain ongoing, with the ultimate fate of Tehran's stockpile of enriched uranium emerging as a central sticking point in the negotiations.

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