French aircraft carrier group prepares for mission in Hormuz Strait
The French Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier group is heading into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden as part of preparations by France and the UK to navigate vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
The French Ministry of Armed Forces said in a statement that the group crossed the Suez Canal on Wednesday.
"The movement of the naval task force is separate from the military operations initiated in the region and complements the existing security arrangements," it added.
This potential security mission, which could only be launched once hostilities have ceased, is intended to be "neutral" and "clearly separate from the belligerents", French President Emmanuel Macron said in mid-April.