TD PARIS/NEW YORK — France has indicated that it is prepared to participate in an international operation aimed at protecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The development came as a cargo vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday.
Key developments
- France: Macron says France is prepared to join an international defensive operation protecting navigation through Hormuz.
- Hormuz: Cargo vessel struck by an unidentified projectile; two casualties reported.
- Canada: Carney says Trump is “speaking the language of war.”
- US: Trump threatens to “blow up” Pickaxe Mountain if Iran resumes nuclear activity there.
- Diplomacy: Witkoff and Kushner held approximately three hours of discussions with Iranian representatives/mediators.
- Trump: Says there is “a lot of momentum” toward an Iran deal.
- China: A Mahan Air flight from Tehran landed in Guangzhou despite the new US sanctions threat, according to flight-tracking data.
- Iran: International flights have been cancelled or disrupted as US aviation sanctions take effect.
- Gulf states: Leaders and senior officials participated in Trump’s UNGA diplomatic meeting on the Iran crisis.
France to Join Hormuz Defensive Mission
New maritime incident, escalating threats from Washington and renewed US-Iranian diplomacy underscore the rapidly shifting dynamics of the conflict.
French President Emmanuel Macron said France would consider joining an international operation to protect navigation through the strategic waterway.
He, however, stressed that any French involvement would have to be strictly defensive.
He noted that it would not amount to participation in a war against Iran.
“We are ready to take part in an international operation that has a clear concept and an exclusively defensive concept,” Macron said.
The French president said Paris did not want to participate in a confrontation with Iran.
He said, though, that France could contribute to protecting facilities and ensuring the delivery of essential goods.
Cargo vessel hit in Strait of Hormuz
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a cargo vessel was struck by an “unknown projectile” in the Strait of Hormuz.
The vessel caught fire and was reported to be drifting.
UKMTO said all crew members were evacuated and two casualties were reported.
The agency did not immediately identify the source of the projectile or attribute responsibility for the incident.
The incident adds another layer of risk to commercial shipping through the waterway.
Through the Middle Eastern waterway, a substantial proportion of the world’s oil and gas supplies normally pass.
The Strait has become a central pressure point in the conflict between Iran and the United States and its allies.
Currently, Washington seeks to restore freedom of navigation, while Tehran uses control over the waterway as a major element of its leverage.
Carney: Trump is “speaking the language of war”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also addressed the increasingly confrontational rhetoric coming from Washington.
Asked about President Donald Trump’s warning that he could “annihilate” Iran if diplomacy failed, Carney responded in French:
“There is a war underway, and he’s speaking the language of war.”
Carney also stressed the importance of resolving the conflict through international law and creating conditions for a ceasefire.
Trump made the threat during his address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.
He presented what he described as a choice between reaching an agreement with Iran and further military action.
Trump threatens to “blow up” Pickaxe Mountain
Trump separately renewed his threat to strike Pickaxe Mountain, an underground Iranian facility near Natanz associated with Iran’s nuclear programme.
The US president said Washington could “blow up” the site if Iran resumed nuclear activity there.
The threat comes despite the parallel diplomatic channel that opened in New York.
It highlights the contradictory signals surrounding the conflict.
Washington is simultaneously threatening further military action while at the same time pursuing negotiations.
Three-hour US-Iran meeting
Against that backdrop, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner held talks with Iranian representatives in New York.
Trump said the meeting lasted approximately three hours and described it as very productive.
“They had a very good meeting, a very productive meeting,” Trump said, according to reports.
Trump subsequently said there was “a lot of momentum” toward a possible agreement with Tehran.
There was initially some confusion over whether the US and Iranian delegations met directly.
Witkoff’s account said the sides engaged through mediators who shuttled between the delegations.
Trump described the encounter as a meeting involving his representatives and Iranian officials.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also reportedly met Witkoff.
Trump later characterised the discussions as producing “lots of good thoughts” and maintained that an agreement remained possible.
The diplomatic contacts are particularly significant because they occurred after months of military confrontation and amid continuing disagreements over the conditions for ending the conflict.
Iran’s aviation sector hit by US sanctions
Meanwhile, the United States has escalated economic pressure on Iran’s aviation industry.
New US measures target Iranian airlines and threaten penalties against foreign companies that provide them with services such as landing, refuelling or ticketing.
Despite the pressure, a Mahan Air commercial flight from Tehran landed in southern China on Wednesday, according to FlightRadar24 tracking data.
The flight, designated IRM093, reportedly landed in Guangzhou.
The flight was not listed on the official Guangzhou Baiyun Airport website, however.
That means the tracking information does not by itself establish the precise nature of the airport handling arrangements.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had warned that foreign entities providing services to Iranian aircraft could face severe US financial consequences, including exclusion from the dollar system.
China, meanwhile, has opposed the new US sanctions.
Iran warns neighbouring airports
Iran has also warned neighbouring countries over restrictions on Iranian aviation.
Iranian aviation authorities said airports in Baghdad and Muscat would stop accepting Iranian flights from midnight Wednesday.
The announcement prompted Tehran to explore alternative arrangements, including redirecting Baghdad-bound flights to Najaf.
Iranian officials said the restrictions were connected to the US sanctions campaign against Iranian airlines.
The consequences are already being felt across the region, with Iranian airlines cancelling or suspending a number of international routes.
Reports indicate that flights involving destinations in Iraq, Oman and several other countries have been affected, although some routes remain operational.
Iran has warned that countries cooperating with efforts to restrict its aviation sector could face consequences.
Although, the precise scope and implementation of Tehran’s threats remain unclear.
Trump brings Gulf states into Iran diplomacy
Meanwhile, the United States and Iran simultaneously resumed high-level diplomatic contacts on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The diplomatic push is also drawing the Gulf states more directly into discussions.
Discussions focused on the Iran conflict, regional security, the Strait of Hormuz and prospects for de-escalation.
The meeting included representatives from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.
Leaders and senior officials from several other Middle Eastern countries were also engaged.
The UAE’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that its Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, participated in Trump’s meeting with Arab and Islamic leaders.
According to the UAE, the discussions covered regional developments, security and stability, economic prosperity and efforts to support peace.
Trump told the gathering that there was significant momentum toward a possible agreement with Iran.
