ISTANBUL 

NATO is not meant for Strait of Hormuz operations, the French deputy defense minister said on Wednesday, following the US criticism over Paris’ stance on the Iran war.

Alice Rufo said during a forum organized by the media outlet Le Point that NATO is “not meant to” conduct operations in the Strait of Hormuz, as this "would not respect international law.”

“Let me recall what NATO is: it is a military alliance concerned with the security of territories, of the Euro-Atlantic area,” Rufo said.

She said France did not support a US-led initiative to reopen the Strait of Hormuz through a coalition, explaining that Paris preferred “to work toward restoring flows and freedom of maritime navigation, and to do so through non-offensive means,” while acknowledging US “irritation.”

Rufo also stressed that NATO’s Article 5 is based on collective defense, noting: “It is not one protecting another, it is collective. It is called collective defense, and deterrence is also collective.”

She emphasized that the alliance is stronger when it avoids division and remains focused on its core mission.

Rufo underlined that she was speaking on behalf of “a founding country of the Atlantic alliance and of the European Union,” stressing that Europe must assume a greater share of its own defense.

“This is not just France’s message today,” she said, noting that the US has also increasingly called for stronger European responsibility in defense matters.

Referring to recent transatlantic dynamics, she noted that developments following the Munich conference showed both “somewhat reassuring elements” and a return to a “more tense phase,” calling for reliability, clarity, and predictability among allies.

“What we want is to advance European defense within the Atlantic alliance. This creates reliability and trust — and trust is more powerful,” she added.

Rufo further said that trust ultimately depends on “the willingness to defend ourselves,” particularly within Europe.​​​​​​​