French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barraud rejected on Thursday the possibility of lifting sanctions against Iran until navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is restored.
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The Figaro newspaper wrote on May 6, citing the Elysee Palace, that France had invited the United States and Iran to consider opening shipping in the Strait of Hormuz separately from other aspects of the crisis in the Middle East.
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“Iran has asked the United States to take retaliatory steps (in case of concessions on) its nuclear program, … missile program and other issues, hoping for a decision to lift sanctions. But there can be no question of lifting any of the sanctions until (shipping) in the Strait of Hormuz is blocked,” the minister said on RTL radio.
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In addition, the French Foreign Minister called the current situation around the strait “completely unacceptable” and said that the Strait of Hormuz is the “common good” of all mankind. Barraud added that he personally made the decision to impose “significant” sanctions on Iran from Paris.
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On February 28, the United States and Israel began attacking targets in Iran, and more than 3,000 people became victims of aggression. Washington and Tehran announced a cease-fire on April 8. The negotiations that took place in Islamabad after that ended in vain, while no resumption of hostilities was reported, but the United States began a blockade of Iranian ports.
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Due to the escalation in the Middle East, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has almost stopped. This is a key supply route to the global market of oil, petroleum products and liquefied natural gas (LNG). As a result, fuel prices have increased in most countries of the world.
