WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US Defense Secretary Mark Esper will discuss with his French counterpart on Saturday how to coordinate efforts by the French navy and Washington to ensure free shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a senior US defense official said.
"We recognize France's interest in participating in and ensuring freedom of navigation in the Gulf, and we will look forward to finding ways to harness and use this interest to better coordinate with our initiative," the official told a conference call before Esber's meeting with Florence Barley in Paris.
France has ruled out joining a US-led coalition to protect oil tankers and shipping from threats that Iran might pose in the Strait of Hormuz, but has called for a European alliance.
The Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced that Russia and Iran plan to conduct joint military exercises in the Indian Ocean.
Zarif added that some countries in the region believe that they can buy their security from abroad, noting that the Strait of Hormuz is managed by Iran, and can not maintain the security of the Gulf without it.