French Finance Minister Roland Lescure has stated that France is prepared to support the U.S. in securing the Strait of Hormuz, but not while ships are under attack. This comes as France, the U., K. and Germany have been criticized by President Donald Trump for failing to assist in reopening the Strait. The vital maritime passage is critical for exporting large amounts of oil and gas from the Middle East. European countries have been reluctant to participate in the U.-S. and Israel's conflict with Iran, seeing it as a war of choice rather than necessity. While European officials have expressed concern that global food, fertilizer and energy supplies are at risk due to the effectively closed Strait of Haormuz.