Necva Tastan Sevinc
20 April 2026•Update: 20 April 2026
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday criticized the recent escalation in the Persian Gulf, saying the US decision to maintain a naval blockade and Iran's subsequent reversal of its "open strait" policy is a "mistake on both sides."
Speaking at a joint press conference in Gdansk, a port city on Poland's Baltic coast, alongside Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Macron expressed concern over the fragile maritime situation following reports that the US would continue to block vessels with ties to Tehran despite a brief diplomatic opening last Friday.
"It is likely that, following the US decision to maintain a targeted blockade on Hormuz in particular—affecting all those with ties to Iran—the Iranian authorities have changed their initial position," Macron stated.
"I believe this is a mistake on both sides," he said.
Macron emphasized that the international community must return to the "Friday decisions," referring to a short-lived diplomatic breakthrough that had briefly seen the strategic waterway reopened.
"Everything must be settled via diplomacy. Everyone must return to calm," Macron added.
He called for a "lasting peace through negotiations on nuclear and ballistic missile issues" rather than the current cycle of military pressure.
He urged against further escalation, advocating instead for an international "defensive" mission to ensure the unconditional reopening of the waterway for global energy security.
Tusk echoed Macron's call for peace in the Middle East, though he was more direct in his critique of the broader geopolitical consequences.
"For Poland, de-escalating tensions and reaching agreements that can end or minimize conflicts in the Middle East are an absolute priority," he said.
The Polish leader pointed out that Russia is the primary beneficiary of regional chaos.
"There is one obvious winner in this war: (Russian President) Putin," Tusk said, highlighting how high oil prices and diverted Western attention serve Moscow's interests.
