France and Qatar Jointly Demand Unrestricted and Cost-Free Reopening of the Strait of Hormuz
French President Emmanuel Macron and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani issued a joint statement after talks in Doha, calling for the restoration of free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz without any restrictions or costs attached.
The statement explicitly condemned Iran's military attacks on regional countries as a serious violation of international law, while reiterating support for a diplomatic resolution to the threats posed by Iran and ensuring that its nuclear program is verifiably used solely for peaceful purposes.
Both sides agreed to strengthen consultations and coordinate diplomatic efforts to achieve de-escalation, with Qatar reiterating its commitment to support global energy security and supply stability as a reliable partner; Macron's visit is the last stop in a tour of several Gulf countries, having previously promoted energy and security cooperation in Kuwait, the UAE, and Bahrain.
In Doha, Macron stated that the biggest obstacle to navigation in the strait is the surge in transportation costs, which have increased about tenfold due to a lack of insurance, leading to a significant reduction in the number of vessels; France has reached an agreement with Qatar to secure approximately 2 terawatt-hours of liquefied natural gas supply each month during winter and is discussing establishing a guarantee mechanism with Gulf countries to encourage shipping and insurance companies to resume operations.
Qatar continues to push for mediation efforts with Pakistan, aiming to ease tensions between the U.S. and Iran and reopen the strait; Macron indicated that Iran is expected to respond within a few days, with proposals including arrangements for the release of some frozen funds' interest still under discussion.
Long-term restrictions in the strait have hindered the export of Gulf crude oil and refined products, with the global shipping and energy markets responding by raising insurance rates, shifting to alternative routes, and releasing strategic reserves; beneficiaries include Gulf exporting countries that can provide LNG and diesel, as well as European buyers with alternative supply channels, while those under pressure are tanker operators and downstream refineries reliant on navigation through the strait.
Source: Public Information
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France has long adopted a strategy of parallel multilateral diplomacy and bilateral contracts for energy security, accelerating the reduction of dependence on Russian gas after the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, by expanding long-term LNG agreements with countries like Qatar and the UAE, while promoting TotalEnergies' deep involvement in Qatar's North Field expansion project to secure upstream interests.
Macron's intensive visit to the Gulf and securing winter LNG and diesel supplies essentially involves exchanging national credit and defense cooperation for physical supply guarantees, while packaging the demand for reopening the strait as an "unrestricted and cost-free" principle of international law, aiming to reduce additional premiums and delay costs for European importers and shift some risks to the shipping insurance market.
Similar paths were seen during the "Tanker War" in the 1980s amid the Iran-Iraq War and the U.S.-led escort operations during the tensions in the Strait of Hormuz in 2019; the current phase is closer to European countries attempting to maintain their energy channels and contract execution capabilities amid the U.S.-Iran standoff, rather than direct military intervention.
This represents a transfer of pricing power: the right to navigate the strait has shifted from "default freedom" to a commodity that can be unilaterally restricted and incur costs, granting exporting countries and those able to provide alternative routes or insurance guarantees additional bargaining power, while importers relying solely on traditional shipping and spot markets are forced to pay higher risk premiums.
ABAB News · Cognitive Laws
- Freedom of navigation in the strait is not a right; it is a tradable passage permit.
- Energy security equals multi-country contracts plus insurance alternatives.
- Blockades raise costs, and guarantee mechanisms redistribute risk premiums.