French President Macron: Military reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is unrealistic

French President Emmanuel Macron stated that attempting to reopen the Strait of Hormuz militarily is "unrealistic." Speaking to reporters during a visit to Seoul on Thursday, he said such an action would be time-consuming and uncertain, and would expose participating parties to the risk of being attacked by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. "This has never been an option we chose; we believe it is unrealistic," Macron said. "We must be able to reopen this strait because it is strategically important for energy, fertilizers, and international trade, but this can only be achieved through negotiations with Iran." He indicated that the first step should be a ceasefire, followed by restarting negotiations, and that safeguarding operations could help ensure that ships are not attacked. "The world cannot afford a situation where Iran can decide to open or close the strait at any time," Macron added. (Jin Shi)