Macron says it is unrealistic to open Hormuz Strait by force

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday it would be unrealistic to launch a military operation to force open the Strait of Hormuz, after U.S. President Donald Trump challenged U.S. allies to work towards reopening it.

"Some people defend the idea of freeing the Strait of Hormuz by force via a military operation, a position sometimes expressed by the United States, although it has varied," Macron told reporters during a trip to South Korea.

"This was never the option we have supported because it is unrealistic," he added. "It would take forever, and would expose all those who go through the strait to risks from the guardians of the revolution but also ballistic missiles," he said.

-Reporting by Michel Rose, Editing by Dominique Vidalon/Reuters