MOSCOW, March 15 (Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti) -- France's only aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle, will stay in the Eastern Mediterranean, despite a recent call by United States (US) President Donald Trump for several countries to send their ships to ensure security in the Strait of Hormuz, Sputnik/RIA Novosti reported, citing the French Foreign Ministry.
On Saturday, Trump called on China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and other countries to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz.
Paris’s stance on the situation in West Asia has not changed and remains defensive in nature, the ministry added.
On Thursday, French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin said that the French government does not plan to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz amid the escalation in the region.
On February 28, the US and Israel launched strikes on targets in Iran, including in Tehran, causing damage and civilian casualties. Iran responded by striking Israeli territory and US military facilities in West Asia.
The escalation around Iran has led to the de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for deliveries of oil and liquefied natural gas from the Persian Gulf countries to the global market, and has also affected the level of oil exports and production in the region.
-- BERNAMA-SPUTNIK/RIA NOVOSTI
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