PARIS, Jan 17 – France will not carry out prevention strikes on Houthi positions to avoid escalation in the region, French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday, reported Sputnik.
“France has decided not to join the coalition that carried out preventive strikes against the positions of the Houthis on their territory because we want to avoid any escalation,” Macron told a news conference aired by the Elysee Palace on X, formerly known as Twitter.
However, the French navy will continue to participate in maintaining security in the Red Sea, the president added.
“We work towards protecting the freedom of maritime navigation. This is a diplomatic issue, not a military one,” Macron said.
In November 2023, the Houthis pledged to attack any ships associated with Israel until it stops its military actions in the Gaza Strip. In December, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin announced the establishment of a multinational operation to secure navigation in the Red Sea. Last week, the US and the UK military carried out airstrikes on Houthi targets in the movement’s controlled parts of Yemen, including the capital of Sanaa.
Last week, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called on the Houthis to show restraint and stressed that countries had the right to protect their ships from attacks.
He said the Red Sea was a vital maritime route for the whole world and Europe, in particular, the reason why he would propose that the EU establish its own mission in the Red Sea to ensure the safety of navigation.
