French carrier Charles de Gaulle returns to Toulon as US‑Iran tensions ease

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on X that the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is sailing back to its home port of Toulon from the Middle East. The carrier had been deployed to prepare for a French‑British multinational maritime security mission in the Strait of Hormuz.

Macron said the recent United States‑Iran memorandum of understanding, signed on June 14, represents “significant progress” for regional stability, prompting France to adjust its presence. While the carrier is withdrawing, French mine‑clearance and escort assets will remain in the region, ready to operate with partners. The ship is currently in the Mediterranean Sea.

France and Britain had announced in mid‑April that they would lead a defensive escort mission in the Strait of Hormuz, with the carrier positioned in May to launch the operation once hostilities ceased. Macron added that the carrier could re‑enter the Strait within two to three days if circumstances allow. U.S. President Donald Trump described the agreement as covering “just about everything we need” to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.