French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday expressed frustration at US President Donald Trump’s shifting statements on the Iran war and said that Trump cannot keep “contradicting” himself every day on Iran.
Macron also dismissed the idea of a military operation to “liberate” the Strait of Hormuz, calling such a move “unrealistic”.
“There are those who advocate for the liberation of the Strait of Hormuz by force through a military operation, a position sometimes expressed by the United States,” Macron said in South Korea, AFP reported.
“I say sometimes because it has varied; it is never the option we have chosen, and we consider it unrealistic,” he said.
“It is unrealistic because it would take an inordinate amount of time and would expose anyone crossing the strait to coastal threats from the (Iranian) Revolutionary Guards, who possess significant resources, as well as ballistic missiles, (and) a host of other risks.”
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for oil, has been virtually paralysed for weeks by the Middle East war. His remarks come amid heightened tensions in the region, where the key shipping route has faced disruptions, raising concerns over global energy supplies and trade.
Beyond Iran, Macron’s sharper message was directed at the broader implications for transatlantic ties, particularly the role of NATO.
He said that inconsistent signals from the US risk weakening the alliance’s credibility. “If you create daily doubt about your commitment, you hollow it out,” Macron said, pointing to what he described as growing uncertainty around Washington’s reliability.
Trump rakes up Macron’s 2025 video
Earlier, on Wednesday US President Donald Trump took a swipe at his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, remarking about his wife, Brigitte Macron, while criticising NATO allies over what he described as their reluctance to support the United States in the ongoing war against Iran.
“I call up France, Macron — whose wife treats him extremely badly. Still recovering from the right to the jaw,” Trump said during his address. His comment was referenced at a May 2025 video that appeared to show Brigitte Macron pushing the French president’s face during a visit to Vietnam, footage Macron later dismissed as part of a disinformation campaign.
Trump claimed he personally requested French military assistance during the conflict in the Gulf but said Paris declined to immediately participate.
Reacting to the US President’s comments, Macron said that Trump’s comments about his marriage were “neither elegant nor up to standard”.
US may reassess relationship with NATO: Rubio
Trump said he rejected that position, responding: “‘No, no, I don’t need after the war is won, Emmanuel.’”
He used the anecdote to question NATO’s reliability in major conflicts.
“So I learned about NATO. NATO won’t be there if we ever have the big one, you know what I mean by the big one,” Trump said, later branding the alliance a “paper tiger.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also suggested Washington may reassess its relationship with NATO after the Iran war concludes, reinforcing the administration’s criticism of allied burden-sharing.
Trump’s speech
US President Donald Trump addressed the nation on Thursday amid the ongoing war with Iran. He issued fresh warnings to the Iranian regime, heaped praise on the US troops for Operation Epic Fury, and shared a timeline of when the war could end.
Donald Trump’s speech also comes amid continued disruptions in operations at the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for passage of oil that has been largely blocked for vessels since the beginning of the war. Besides, crude prices have also seen an uptick over the past few weeks, with markets in turmoil and economic growth threatened worldwide.
(With AFP inputs)
