France open to defensive mission in Hormuz, Macron tells ABC

• Emmanuel Macron highlighted reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resolving the energy crisis as his primary objective with Donald Trump.
• Macron noted the Strait's strategic risk was initiallly underestimated, identifying the US as uniquely capable of resolving it.
• He criticized achieving regime change through military strikes, explaining France's decision to avoid direct conflict.
• France offered increased engagement to safeguard maritime transit without seeking direct confrontation.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the vulnerability and strategic impact of the Strait of Hormuz were "probably underestimated" when the conflict began, addressing the global energy crisis in an exclusive interview with ABC News' David Muir.

Speaking following his bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump on Monday, Macron confirmed that securing a deal to reopen the vital maritime choke point was the core focus of their discussions as global prices for gas, diesel, and jet fuel continue to surge.

"The main objective of my meeting with President Trump was to find the right deal in order to open the Strait of Hormuz," Macron told Muir during the interview.

Macron noted that as hostilities broke out, "the Iranian regime discovered they had this card in their hands" through their operational capacity to shut down shipping lanes in the strait.

When asked by Muir whether the waterway's closure represented a blind spot for US President Trump, Macron declined to assign blame directly to the US administration.

"I will not here blame anybody. We are where we are. I think the US -I mean, your country- is the one able to fix this issue, and we need you," Macron stated, adding that the situation with the strait "was probably underestimated, and today we have to fix this issue."

"Regime change by bombing"

Addressing potential military action to reopen the maritime corridor, Macron outlined France's operational parameters, clarifying that Paris is open to targeted protective measures rather than broader offensive operations.

"I don't want to engage in a confrontation with any country, but we are ready to be more engaged in order to protect some capacities in order to make this transit possible, yes," Macron told Muir.

The French president offered explicit criticism of the broader strategy behind the war, taking aim at doctrine centered on regime change through military strikes.

"Having a regime change by bombing a country is not something I think feasible," Macron argued. "And for me, it's not a good option, because it doesn't work. And we did this mistake several times in the past decades."

Macron also addressed complaints from President Trump alleging that "The US is spending hundreds of billions of dollars, and [European allies] are not there for us."

Reaffirming that France respects the United States and considers itself a "good ally," Macron stressed that true partnership requires prior strategic consultation before initiating military conflicts.

"When you want to engage people, you strategize with them, and you ask them before launching a war, and we decided not to join this war because we considered, and I still consider, it was not the right option," Macron concluded.