French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle will 'soon arrive' near Strait of Hormuz, minister says

France’s aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle will soon arrive near the Strait of Hormuz, France’s minister delegate for the armed forces said Friday, amid heightened tensions in the Gulf.

The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is “advancing into the Arabian Sea” and is already “in the area,” Alice Rufo told the French news broadcaster BFMTV.

“It is advancing into the Arabian Sea; it is in the area,” Rufo said, referring to the French aircraft carrier.

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, triggering retaliation from Tehran against Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. The truce was later extended by US President Donald Trump without a set deadline.

Since April 13, the US has enforced a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the strait.