France is moving its aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and accompanying warships closer to the Strait of Hormuz in preparation for a neutral maritime mission, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.
The fleet has passed through the Suez Canal and is heading for the southern Red Sea, the ministry added in a statement.
The deployment is intended to shorten the response time for a multi-national naval mission being prepared under the leadership of France and the United Kingdom, which is expected to begin after hostilities in the region end.
The aim of the multi-national mission is to escort and safeguard merchant ships as they pass through the strait, which is vital to global trade.
More than 40 countries have pledged their support. Germany, for its part, is deploying the minehunter Fulda towards the Mediterranean.
The French Defence Ministry said the carrier group’s movement would support operational reconnaissance and preparations for the mission, while also helping reassure commercial shipping operators.
It added that the deployment could provide additional options for easing the crisis and strengthening security in the region.
Paris stressed that the redeployment of its naval forces was not linked to the ongoing military confrontation involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
