France not certain mines laid in Strait of Hormuz
France has no certainty at this stage that mines have been laid in the Strait of Hormuz, Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin said on Wednesday after reports that at least 10 mines had been identified in the area.
“At this moment, I have no certainty on the subject, but in any case we are preparing for the necessity to potentially remove mines,” Vautrin told France Info radio.
She said demining ships were being sent to the region as part of a possible future Franco-British-led mission, and that France already had one at its base in Djibouti.
CBS News reported earlier that a recent US intelligence assessment showed American forces had identified at least 10 mines in the Strait of Hormuz, citing US officials familiar with the matter who spoke anonymously to discuss sensitive national security issues.
