Macron Says Unrealistic to Free Strait of Hormuz Militarily

Emmanuel Macron in Seoul on April 2.
Photographer: Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images

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By Ania Nussbaum

April 2, 2026 at 11:05 AM UTC

Updated on

April 2, 2026 at 1:40 PM UTC

French President Emmanuel Macron said it would be “unrealistic” to try to reopen the Strait of Hormuz through military means.

Such an operation would take an indefinite time and expose those involved to risks from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including ballistic missiles, he told reporters during a trip to Seoul on Thursday.