French president calls on Iran to ensure freedom of speech, put end  to closure of Strait of Hormuz

ArmInfo. In a telephone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, French President Emmanuel Macron called on Iran to guarantee freedom of  navigation by ending the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

As Macron himself reported on Twitter (X), in his conversation with  Pezeshkian, he emphasized the absolute priority of ensuring the  safety and return to France of two French tourists, Cecile Coler and  Jacques Paris, who are currently in the French embassy. The latter  were accused of espionage in Iran.

"I stressed the need for Iran to immediately cease attacks on  countries in the region. Iran must also guarantee freedom of  navigation by ending the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Finally, I reiterated our deep concern about the development of  Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and all its  destabilizing activities in the region, which underlie the current  crisis.

A diplomatic solution is more necessary than ever to resolve these  critical issues, stop the escalation, and preserve peace. We agreed  to remain in touch," the French leader noted.

Notably, Macron made no mention of Iranian casualties as a result of  US-Israeli aggression.

As a reminder, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz following the US and  Israeli attack on the country on February 28. This led to a spike in  oil and gas prices worldwide.