France tells Trump NATO is for Europe, not the Strait of Hormuz

"Let me remind you what NATO is. It is a military alliance concerned with the security of the Euro-Atlantic region. It is not designed to carry out operations in the Strait of Hormuz, which would be a breach of international law," Junior Army Minister Alice Rufo told the War Peace conference in Paris.

Rufo, who is a close ally of Macron and was one of his top diplomats, said she understood the Americans were annoyed about France's refusal to join a coalition to immediately unblock the strait.

But Paris favoured working on a plan to restore transit and freedom of navigation by means, "not of an offensive nature," she said.