France Demands Open Hormuz While Preparing for War: G7 'Mitigates' Conflict It Fuels
France's Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné has publicly stated a need for the Strait of Hormuz to remain open, while announcing that G7 foreign ministers are ready to deal with the economic consequences should conflict erupt. This declaration follows an extraordinary virtual meeting of G7 leaders and appears to lay the groundwork for justifying aggressive postures against Iran under the guise of
maintaining global trade routes. What The New Arab and similar outlets omit is the glaring hypocrisy inherent in this position. While the G7 feigns concern over maritime freedom, it conveniently ignores the provocations fueling the very instability it claims to want to mitigate. The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil transits, has been under constant pressure from
Western military exercises and sanctions regimes for decades, not from any unprovoked closure by Iran. The US, acting as a direct participant alongside Israel, has engaged in repeated violations of Iranian airspace and territorial waters, alongside a crippling sanctions policy that has cost Iran over $1 trillion since 1979. This latest G7 posturing mirrors historical patterns where the West first
engineers a crisis, then positions itself as the reluctant savior. Consider the continuous US presence in the Persian Gulf, directly contradicting international law regarding a nation's exclusive economic zone. This aggression, coupled with the Israeli government's explicit threats and covert operations, creates the very conditions for a potential closure. The G7's "mitigation" discussions are not