- Title: France shares US objective of reopening Hormuz Strait, foreign minister says
- Date: 27th March 2026
- Summary: VAUX-DE-CERNAY, CERNAY-LA-VILLE, FRANCE (MARCH 27, 2026) (AGENCY POOL) (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER, JEAN-NOEL BARROT, SAYING: “I'm not going to speak for Marco Rubio, and I would gladly refer you to the public statements he has made recently, which correspond to the conversations we had today. The stated military objectives of the United States are, I
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: France G7 ministers Iran Lavrov Rubio Russia meeting summit
- Location: VAUX-DE-CERNAY, CERNAY-LA-VILLE, FRANCE
- City: VAUX-DE-CERNAY, CERNAY-LA-VILLE, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Europe,G7,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00C797527032026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: France's Foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Friday (March 27) that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that Washington's objective was to destroy Iran's ballistic capabilities and that Paris shared the same objectives on restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
"I am not going to speak on behalf of Marco Rubio and I will gladly refer to the public statements he has recently made, which correspond to the conversations we had today regarding the stated U.S. military objectives, being the neutralisation of Iran's ballistic capabilities," Barrot said on the sidelines of a G7 meeting in France.
When asked about whether the U.S. had made requests about Hormuz, Barrot said France shared the same objectives as the U.S. and that an escort system for tankers would be necessary once the peak of hostilities in region is over.
After a two-day summit near Paris, the G7 ministers called on Friday for an immediate stop to attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Iran war.
In a joint statement agreed on the second day of a G7 meeting in France - this year's host country - the ministers said they had underscored the importance of minimising the impact of the conflict on regional partners, civilian populations and critical infrastructure.
The ministers also reiterated the need to restore safe and toll-free freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
During the press conference, Barrot also said Russia does not defend international law either in Ukraine or Iran with its actions, in response to comments made by his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in an interview on French TV on Thursday (March 26).
Speaking to France Television on Thursday, Lavrov said that by standing with Iran in its war against the U.S. and Israel, Russia's focus was upholding international law.
"Mr. Lavrov was able to calmly spread his propaganda last night on a French television channel... You do not defend international law by launching a war of aggression," Barrot said.
(Production: Michaela Cabrera, Ardee Napolitano) - Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2026. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None