A dozen members of the French navy scour screens for blinking lights indicating movement thousands of kilometres away near the Strait of Hormuz.
Since the start of the Iran war in late February, staff at a maritime security centre in western France have been helping merchant ships trapped in the Gulf.
kAm%H:? xC2?:2? 2?5 &$ 3=@4<256D @7 E96 $EC2:E @7 w@C>FK 92G6 =67E >@C6 E92? fd_ 4:G:=:2? D9:AD DEC2?565 @? E96 vF=7 D:56 @7 E96 A2DD286H2J[ E9C@F89 H9:49 2 7:7E9 @7 8=@32= 4CF56 @:= 2?5 =:BF67:65 ?2EFC2= 82D EC2?D:E65 367@C6 E96 4@?7=:4E] ~?=J 2 92?57F= 92G6 >2?2865 E@ =62G6 :? C646?E H66<D]k^Am
kAmx7 E96 |2C:E:>6 x?7@C>2E:@? r@@A6C2E:@? 2?5 pH2C6?6DD r6?E6C W|xrp 46?E6CX 56E64ED 2?J 7@C> @7 3@>32C5>6?E[ :E :>>65:2E6=J D6?5D ?62C3J D9:AD \\ 4@?E2:?6C D9:AD[ 42C8@ G6DD6=D 2?5 4CF:D6 =:?6CD \\ Â 2? 6?4CJAE65 >6DD286]Â k^Am
kAmQ(6 D92C6 E96 ?2EFC6 @7 E96 6G6?E[ :ED 4@?E6IE 2?5 6I24E A@D:E:@?[Q 4@>>2?5:?8 @77:46C %9@>2D $42=23C6 E6==D pu! :? 2 32D6>6?E :? E96 uC6?49 4:EJ @7 qC6DE]k^Am
kAmQ%96J 42? C6DA@?5 BF:4<=J[ >@G:?8 2H2J 7C@> E96 52?86C :7 E96C6 2C6 D9@ED @C 563C:D[ @C 6G6? EFC? @77 E96:C EC2?DA@?56CD D@ 2D ?@E E@ 36 56E64E65[Q 96 255D]k^Am
kAm%9:D :?7@C>2E:@? :D D6?E H:E9:? 2 C25:FD @7 d_ ?2FE:42= >:=6D] u@C 4@>A2C:D@?[ E96 DEC2:E :ED6=7 :D ah ?2FE:42= >:=6D H:56 2E :ED ?2CC@H6DE A@:?E]k^Am
k9am\ #F=6D VG6CJ F?4=62CV \k^9am
kAm%96 :?7@C>2E:@? @? E96 |xrp 46?E6CVD >@?:E@C:?8 D4C66?D :D 2 >:IEFC6 @7 D2E6==:E6 :>286D[ D9:A =@42E:@?D 6>:EE65 3J E96:C EC2?DA@?56CD[ 2?5 :?7@C>2E:@? D92C65 3J 4C6HD 2E D62]k^Am
kAmxE AC@G:56D 96=A E@ gd >2C:E:>6 EC2?DA@CE 4@>A2?:6D[ :?4=F5:?8 uC6?49 8C@FA r|p rv| 2?5 s2?:D9 8:2?E |26CD<]k^Am
kAmq6J@?5 E9C62ED 7C@> E96 |:55=6 t2DE H2C[ E96 |xrp 46?E6C 2=D@ EC24<D E96 C6DE @7 E96 H@C=5VD H2E6CD \\ :?4=F5:?8 *6>6?: C636= >:DD:=6 2?5 5C@?6 2EE24<D :? E96 #65 $62[ A:C24J @77 $@>2=:2[ 2?5 5CF8 D>F88=:?8]k^Am
kAm|xrp 92D C64@C565 2C@F?5 c_ D64FC:EJ :?4:56?ED[ :?4=F5:?8 ac xC2?:2? 5:C64E 2EE24<D @? 4@>>6C4:2= G6DD6=D D:?46 u63CF2CJ ag[ D@>6 @7 E96> 5625=J[ $42=23C6 D2JD]k^Am
kAmuC2?46 2?5 E96 &?:E65 z:?85@> 92G6 A=65865 E@ D6E FA 2 A62467F= 4@2=:E:@? E@ C6\@A6? E96 $EC2:E @7 w@C>FK \\ 3FE :E :D ?@E E@ @A6C2E6 F?E:= 27E6C E96 4@?7=:4E :D C6D@=G65] !6246 E2=<D 92G6 DE2==65 :? C646?E H66<D]k^Am
kAmx? E96 >62?E:>6[ QE96 CF=6D xC2? :>A@D6D @? ?2G:82E:@? C6>2:? G6CJ F?4=62C 2?5 2C6 4@?DE2?E=J D9:7E:?8[Q $42=23C6 D2JD[ :?4=F5:?8 H:E9 C682C5D E@ H9:49 D9:AD E96 xC2?VD #6G@=FE:@?2CJ vF2C5D Wx#vrX >:89E 564:56 E@ D:?8=6 @FE]k^Am
kAmQ%96C6 :D?VE ?646DD2C:=J 2?J =@8:4 :? E96 x#vrVD E2C86E:?8 A@=:4J] (6VG6 D66? >2?J 5:776C6?E ?2E:@?2=:E:6D 2?5 EJA6D @7 G6DD6=DQ 36:?8 E2C86E65[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ V|@DBF:E@ 7=66EV \k^9am
kAmx#vr 8F?3@2ED @? pAC:= `g 7:C65 2E x?5:2\7=28865 E2?<6C $2?>2C w6C2=5 H:E9@FE AC:@C C25:@ 4@?E24E[ D64FC:EJ :?E6==:86?46 7:C> '2?8F2C5 %649 C6A@CE65[ 56DA:E6 x?5:2 36:?8 G:6H65 2D 2 Q7C:6?5Q @7 xC2?[ 2D 2C6 r9:?2[ #FDD:2[ xC2B 2?5 !2<:DE2?]k^Am
kAmxC2? 2=D@ 4=2:>D E@ 92G6 =2:5 D62 >:?6D :? E96 >2:? A2CE @7 E96 H2E6CH2J]k^Am
kAmQ(92E >2EE6CD :D E96 ADJ49@=@8:42= 67764E] }@ @?6 H:== E2<6 E96 C:D< @7 G6?EFC:?8 E96C6[Q $42=23C6 D2JD]Â k^Am
kAm%69C2? 42? 2FE9@C:D6 D@>6 D9:AD E@ =62G6 E96 vF=7 @C 6?E6C :E G:2 E96 $EC2:E @7 w@C>FK]k^Am
kAmqFE Q6G6? H96? E96J @3E2:? :E[ E96 x#vrVD V>@DBF:E@ 7=66EV 42? 6>6C86 E@ 3=@4< E96:C H2J[Q $42=23C6 D2JD]k^Am
kAmx? 9:D @77:46[ E96 4@>>2?5:?8 @77:46C 6?=2C86D 2? :>286 D9@H:?8 2 DH2C> @7 DA6653@2ED 42CCJ:?8 @FE DF49 2? 2EE24<]k^Am
kAmp 5@K6? xC2?:2? A2EC@= 3@2ED 3FCDE 7@CE9[ 42CG:?8 H9:E6 7@2>J H2<6D 369:?5 E96> 2D E96J 6?4:C4=6 2?5 D6:K6 2 G6DD6= 367@C6 :E 42? =62G6]k^Am
kAmQ%96J D@>6E:>6D 42CCJ @FE :?5:D4C:>:?2E6 2EE24<D[ H96E96C E96 4@F?ECJ :D 4@?D:56C65 7C:6?5=J @C ?@E[Q E96 uC6?49 ?2GJ @77:46C D2JD]k^Am
kAmQu@C %69C2?[ 4@?EC@==:?8 E96 $EC2:E @7 w@C>FK C6>2:?D @?6 @7 :ED ECF>A 42C5D E@ 6I6CE AC6DDFC6 2?5 ?68@E:2E6Q 2 H2J @FE @7 E96 4@?7=:4E[ 96 255D]k^Am
kAm4=^29^4Hk^Am



