\n<\/p>\n
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung announced on Friday that he and French President Emmanuel Macron will work together to open the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping, though Macron had claimed\u00a0<\/span>as recently as Thursday that asking France for help was \u201cunrealistic<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also offered to help defend the strait on Thursday.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPresident Macron and I agreed to share policy-related experiences and strategies in order to jointly address the economic and energy crises triggered by the Middle East war. We also concurred on working together to reduce uncertainty in the global economy,\u201d President Lee <\/span>said<\/span><\/a> at a joint press conference with Macron in Seoul on Friday.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe confirmed our commitment to bolstering energy security by expanding our cooperation in the nuclear and offshore wind power sectors while collaborating to secure safe maritime transport routes through the Strait of Hormuz,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n The two leaders did not elaborate on what actions they would take to open the strait, and they did not take questions from the press.<\/span><\/p>\n Macron <\/span>told<\/span><\/a> reporters on Thursday that using military force to open the Strait of Hormuz was unrealistic.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSome people defend the idea of freeing the Strait of Hormuz by \u200bforce via a military operation, a position sometimes expressed by the United States, although it has varied,\u201d he said when arriving in South Korea.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis was never the option we have supported because it is unrealistic. It would take forever, and would expose all those who go through the Strait to risks from the Revolutionary \u200bGuards but also ballistic missiles,\u201d he continued.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat \u200cwe say \u2060from the beginning is that this strait must be reopened because it is strategic for energy flows, fertilizers and international trade, but that it can only be done in consultation with Iran,\u201d he concluded.<\/span><\/p>\n Macron was dismissive of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, and of President Donald Trump\u2019s criticism of Europe for not helping its American ally.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to provide a running commentary of an operation \u200bthe Americans have decided on \u200btheir own with Israel. \u2060They can deplore the fact they\u2019re not being helped, but that\u2019s not our operation. We want peace as soon as possible,\u201d he sniffed.<\/span><\/p>\n A French-owned, Maltese-flagged container ship called <\/span>Kribi <\/span><\/i>reportedly<\/span><\/a> passed safely through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. The ship was traveling safely along the coast of Oman on Friday while broadcasting the message \u201cOwner France\u201d through its transponder.<\/span><\/p>\n According to ship tracking data, the ship is ultimately bound for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and changed its transponder message to \u201cOwner France\u201d immediately before entering Iranian waters.<\/span><\/p>\n The <\/span>Times of India <\/span><\/i>(TOI) <\/span>wondered<\/span><\/a> on Friday if the safe passage of the <\/span>Kribi <\/span><\/i>meant a deal had quietly been struck, and Iran no longer views France as a \u201chostile nation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky <\/span>told<\/span><\/a> reporters on Thursday that his country was ready to assist with reopening the Strait of Hormuz.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo one has involved us specifically in the issue of the Strait of Hormuz. During my visits, I told representatives of the Middle East and Gulf countries: Ukraine is ready to help with everything related to defense,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n