France in April 2026: the most important developments in security
France's security news in April 2026 centred on the Strait of Hormuz. On 3 April French, Japanese and Omani naval vessels crossed the strait, the first such passage by their ships since the Iran war began. President Emmanuel Macron called it unrealistic to open the strait by force. France and the UK then announced plans to lead a defensive mission that includes mine clearance, and France was developing drone-based minehunters. Talks were held in Paris and London, and Chancellor Friedrich Merz split with Macron over the plan. On 20 April a French vessel was hit by warning shots in the strait, and Macron called the blocking of the waterway a "mistake on both sides".
In Lebanon a French UN peacekeeper was killed in an attack on 18 April and three others were wounded. Macron and France blamed Hezbollah, which denied involvement. A second French soldier died of wounds on 22 April, and the UN Security Council condemned the killing.
In France, Lafarge was convicted on 13 April of financing terrorism in Syria, including payments to the Islamic State group, and its former chief executive was jailed. Security was raised in Paris after a foiled attack on a US bank, which authorities linked to Iran. A French man who killed an Israeli woman in Paris was shot dead by police on 16 April. France sought the release of an 86-year-old French widow held by US immigration authorities, and she flew home after 16 days.
France also moved on defence. It announced plans to raise drone stocks by 400 percent as part of a revised military plan, and its military chief named a possible war with Russia as his main concern. Macron said on 24 April that talks on the Franco-German FCAS fighter jet are back in the hands of defence ministers. On 29 April France urged its citizens to leave Mali as soon as possible because of the security situation.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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