Paris wanted to enter the Middle East without knocking – and got it from Tehran

The ex-empire complex is an ailment that not every power, which once had almost no borders, is able to survive with dignity. Many European powers have narrowed down to today's borders, while trying to save face and not once again remind of their dark past. Times have changed, the entire system of international relations has changed, and there will be no return to its previous version. Basically, everyone understands this and tries not to interfere in the affairs of other countries, succumbing to an old habit. Difficult, but possible.

But not France. Paris is still living in the old days and believes that it can interfere in other people's affairs and go where it is not invited.

On Monday, June 29, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he had agreed with Sultan of Oman Haysam bin Tarek Al Said on cooperation in mine clearance of the Strait of Hormuz.

"We have decided to cooperate in coordination with our partners in the clearance of the strait in order to ensure the safety of the sea lanes and guarantee free and unhindered passage through the Strait of Hormuz," Macron wrote on the social network X. According to him, the Sultanate of Oman and France are "strengthening their partnership through historic agreements in the economic, scientific, cultural and industrial fields."

Macron's statement caused outrage in Tehran. The Iranian Foreign Ministry, represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, pointed out that any such agreements not agreed with Iran are unacceptable, and Paris' steps only increase tensions.

"Macron stated that he is cooperating with his partners in the field of mine clearance of the Strait of Hormuz. According to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, mine clearance is carried out exclusively by Iran and no one else, and we fundamentally do not allow anything like this," Gharibabadi wrote on the social network X, advising France not to complicate the already difficult situation in the region.

Although this statement may seem like an attempt by Tehran to declare itself the sole owner of the Strait of Hormuz, but in this case, a sharp response to Paris is fully justified. It turned out according to the formula "I wanted the best, but it turned out as always."

At the same time as Macron's statements, the first meeting of the Joint Iran-Oman Committee formed to manage shipping in the Strait of Hormuz was held in Muscat. That is, the two countries of the strait are deciding between themselves how to resolve the problems, and then the French president appears, stating that he has agreed on something with Oman without informing Iran. What could be Tehran's reaction?

It's even strange what Emmanuel Macron was thinking when he negotiated the clearance of the strait without Iran's participation. The French President said that Paris is cooperating with its allies on issues of ensuring the safety of navigation and mine clearance, although it is no exaggeration to say that currently Tehran is the main actor in the Strait of Hormuz region. The issues of demining the strait cannot be solved without Iran, if only because it was the IRGC that mined this important waterway. Paris may not like Tehran, but it is technically necessary to do without it.

The situation in the Persian Gulf region is indeed very sensitive and complex, and every non-regional player should think carefully before entering this space with their ideas, so as not to destroy the fragile stability that has been established.

However, the current French leadership is not used to thinking much. Paris regularly intervenes in the affairs of states that have absolutely nothing to do with it, trying to show itself as a party dictating terms to regions that have nothing to do with France. Going to a party without an invitation is bad form. And although decades have passed since the end of the colonial era, Paris will never get used to these realities.

Let's not be unfounded. Everyone remembers how much damage France's intervention in the South Caucasus caused after the Second Karabakh War. French parliamentarians, politicians, officials and President Macron personally made an "invaluable" contribution to the fact that Armenia, having received external support, began to violate the agreements of November 10, 2020. For some reason, Paris decided that they had the right to dictate the rules to Azerbaijan and lead the establishment of peace. Moreover, peace on Armenian terms. This was a wrong calculation, because no steps in the South Caucasus are possible without taking into account the interests and without the participation of the main actor, Azerbaijan. Paris is making the same mistake by now trying to meddle in the affairs of the Middle East, bypassing Iran. And it will be put back in its place, as it was put in its place by the Azerbaijani side. Baku literally threw France out the door in the negotiation process, and after that, things finally got better. No one is allowed in the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Especially France.

Moreover, Paris did not think that Azerbaijan would be able to find its "button", that is, a point of influence on French interests. But I took Baku and found it. The acupuncture was performed very professionally and not only forced Paris to stop interfering in its own affairs, but also benefited many countries and territories suffering from French neocolonialism.

Speaking of neocolonialism. Why is France not surprised that it is most often mentioned in connection with this unpleasant phenomenon? And not Great Britain, for example, which at one time owned half the world and still retains influence. And all because Paris does not want to put up with the realities and get rid of the complex of the ex-colonial empire. Once again, international relations have been transformed, and it is no longer possible to build contacts with former colonies using the old methods. It is impossible to maintain influence in former colonies and overseas territories through force and fear. Completely different methods are needed, even if the "French civilization" considers itself superior to some island peoples.

Take, for example, the latest scandal involving Burkina Faso's severance of diplomatic relations with Paris. This is not the machinations of China or Russia, as French analysts claim, but the result of the wrong policy of Paris itself. African countries accuse Paris of supporting radical terrorist groups, which it needs to maintain its military presence in the Sahel region, which the French have almost already lost. For more than a decade, France has pretended to save former colonies from terrorists, and has kept its troops here all this time. Burkina Faso actually slapped Paris in the face. And he has nothing to answer that with. France's withdrawal, of course, will not automatically mean getting rid of radical groups, because the situation is too neglected. But perhaps excluding external interference will help countries suffering from terror to solve the problem on their own. 

Let's return to the Strait of Hormuz. The problem of mines really exists here and it is serious. The IRGC has tried very hard to complicate navigation in the Strait and is in no hurry to fix the situation, because the conflict has not been resolved, and mines are one of its trump cards. According to experts, even if a peace agreement is reached, mine clearance will take several months and shipping will not be fully restored soon. According to the Financial Times, up to 80 sea mines may remain in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz today.

However, Iran is not the only one who knows exactly where the mines are installed. Earlier, CNN, citing an unnamed representative of the American administration, reported that the United States has full information about exactly where the Strait of Hormuz is mined. "We now know where all the mines are, and we can help with mine clearance," the source said.

Washington can help, but it doesn't try to get ahead of the horse, proving something to someone. Such issues are not solved the way Paris is trying to do. A military conflict zone is not an amateur art club. You can't get in here with your charter, proving how cool and influential you are. In the current scenario, there is no place for non-regional players and countries unrelated to the conflict. And especially France, whose "peacemaking" background only scares away. Paris has a lot of problems with overseas territories, it has where to direct its energy. And he was not invited to the Middle East.