French President Emmanuel Macron today described the ceasefire agreed in the Middle East as “extremely positive”.

In a statement shortly before the start of the Defence Council at the Elysee presidential palace, the French president announced that some 15 countries are mobilising as part of a purely defensive mission to ensure, in cooperation with Iran, free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Macron also described the situation in Lebanon as extremely critical and reiterated that France wants Lebanon to join the ceasefire. The Israeli prime minister said, however, that Lebanon was not included in the agreement reached by Washington and Tehran. In the aftermath of the ceasefire agreement, the Paris stock market rose 1.53%, and the Association of French Oil Industries said that in the coming days, the price of gasoline will drop by 5 to 10 cents.

Finally, the French president is meeting today in the Elysee with Cecile Kohler and Jacques Parry, who were hostages in Tehran and were freed yesterday by the Iranian authorities.