France and South Korea joined hands regarding Strait of Hormuz; Trump’s ‘Walk Alone’ Gave a big challenge to the policy

France South Korea Hormuz Strategy: Amid global economic uncertainty caused by the ongoing war in the Middle East and Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz, France and South Korea have shown solidarity to deal with the crisis. During a summit in Seoul on Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung agreed to work together to reopen the vital waterway.

criticism of trump

This meeting has taken place at a time when US President Donald Trump has strongly criticized his allies for not supporting America and Israel in the war against Iran. Trump has said through social media and public statements that America does not need this waterway as much as countries that depend on it for their energy needs.

Trump specifically took the name of South Korea, Japan and China and said that they themselves should come forward to secure this route. Trump claimed in his statement that 45,000 American soldiers are deployed in South Korea, although according to official figures, only 28,000 American soldiers are deployed there.

Macron’s diplomatic stance

Macron is visiting South Korea for the first time since taking office in 2017. He made it clear that launching any military operation to open Hormuz is ‘unrealistic’ Is. He stressed the need to define a clear process to de-escalate the crisis at the international level.

At the same time, President Lee confirmed that both countries remain steadfast in their resolve to ensure safe shipping passage in Hormuz. South Korean officials also clarified that they will not pay any kind of ‘transit fee’ Are not considering giving.

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New agreements in energy and technology

Apart from the Hormuz crisis, the two leaders have also expanded cooperation in the areas of technology and energy. The officials have signed agreements to cooperate on nuclear fuel supply chains, joint investment in an offshore wind project in South Korea and critical minerals. President Lee said the war has exposed South Korea’s excessive dependence on fossil fuel imports, so he wants to move faster toward renewable energy and nuclear power.