FRANCE PERSPECTIVE

Paris, July 15, 2026. Within 48 hours, the French government has taken note of Donald Trump's announcement and subsequent abandonment of a 20% tax on cargo crossing the Strait of Hormuz, while also reinstating a naval blockade of Iranian ports and intensifying strikes against Iran, which have entered their fourth consecutive night. The French press, mobilized on this escalation through its correspondents in the Middle East, highlights the inconsistency of the American device as well as its immediate economic consequences.

France's capital is witnessing a significant development in the crisis, as the strait, through which 20% of the world's hydrocarbons transited before the war, has been emptied of its maritime traffic: "a turquoise sea arm deserted by ships." The initial announcement of the toll on Monday, July 13, had caused oil prices to soar — Brent rising by 9.59% in one session, an unprecedented increase since the start of the conflict, to close at $83.30. French media documents the change in Trump's discourse, which shifted in one day from the status of "paid guardian" of the strait to a simple renunciation of the tax, replaced by "massive trade and investment agreements" with the Gulf monarchies, in his own words on Truth Social.

French business media notes that this reversal, which occurred after calls from Gulf emirs, comes barely 24 hours after the announcement of a measure deemed contrary to international law guaranteeing freedom of navigation. The blockade of Iranian ports, however, is maintained and is set to come into effect on Tuesday at 20:00 TU, while Tehran promises not to let Washington "interfere" in the strait and threatens other routes, including the Red Sea.

South American diplomacy is entering the debate: French media relays the statement of Brazilian President Lula, who described Washington as a possible "pirate" if the tax had been maintained — "a large country like the United States... cannot become a pirate today." On the ground, two Emirati tankers were targeted by Iranian missiles, resulting in one death among the crew, while Jordan claims to have intercepted four Iranian missiles. For the French media, this sequence illustrates the fragility of the truce signed in June and the risk of a regional flare-up with global economic repercussions, without a lasting agreement on the horizon.