Paris, France. French President Emmanuel Macron said the frigate Languedoc was due to arrive in Cypriot waters imminently to act as a deterrent after Cyprus was hit by an Iranian-made drone. He also announced the deployment of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the region.
French military deployments and air defence support
In a televised address on Tuesday evening, Macron said France would send additional air defence assets to Cyprus and that the frigate Languedoc would arrive off the coast of the Mediterranean island that evening. He referred to the strategic partnership he signed with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides in December.
Macron said France was ensuring close coordination with allies and European partners, including Greece, to strengthen efforts in the eastern Mediterranean.
Concerns over maritime routes and the Strait of Hormuz
Macron warned of the potential impact of the conflict in the Middle East on international trade, noting that around a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas transits through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint between Oman’s northernmost point and Iran’s southern coast. He said it provides the only seaborne access between the Persian Gulf and the open ocean.
Macron said he had ordered the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, its air assets, and its frigate escort to head towards the Mediterranean.
Coalition initiative and Cyprus response
Macron said France was taking the initiative to build a coalition to bring together resources, including military resources, to resume and secure traffic on maritime routes essential to the global economy.
Christodoulides responded by thanking Macron for what he described as concrete support for Cyprus, saying the two countries are bound by a strong and lasting strategic partnership and that, in times of crisis, the partnership is reflected in close cooperation and active solidarity.
Context of Macron’s earlier visit to Ile Longue
The deployment of the Charles de Gaulle and the Languedoc follows Macron’s visit a day earlier to France’s Ile Longue base, which houses the country’s nuclear ballistic missile submarines, in a show of strength amid the conflict.
How do you think these deployments could affect security coordination in the eastern Mediterranean?
