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52 French ships stuck in the Gulf amid Iran conflict, minister says

AL-Monitor
Mar 6, 2026
FILE PHOTO: French Minister for Transport Philippe Tabarot looks on during the Changi Aviation Summit at Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore, February 2, 2026. REUTERS/Caroline Chia/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: French Minister for Transport Philippe Tabarot looks on during the Changi Aviation Summit at Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore, February 2, 2026. REUTERS/Caroline Chia/File Photo — Caroline Chia

PARIS, March 6 (Reuters) - Around 50 French ships are currently blocked in the Persian Gulf and another eight in the Red Sea, France's Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said on Friday, as Paris seeks support to build a coalition of countries to secure shipping traffic in the region.

"There are around fifty ships - 52 to be precise - in the Persian Gulf and eight in the Red Sea, and we are also in permanent contact with the crews, as there are French sailors aboard a number of these vessels," Tabarot told French broadcaster CNews/Europe 1.

(Reporting by Gianluca Lo Nostro; Editing by Makini Brice)