Paris: France's aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is heading to the Mediterranean but is not intended to secure the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin said Thursday, as tensions escalate in the Middle East.

According to Anadolu Agency, Vautrin, speaking to RTL radio, stated that the carrier is expected to arrive in the Mediterranean at the end of this week or the beginning of next week. She emphasized that the deployment is not aimed at securing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route currently under heightened tension, but rather at reinforcing security in the Mediterranean region.

Vautrin disclosed that two French military bases in the region were hit during recent attacks but remain operational. France is strengthening its military posture in the region following US and Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran's subsequent retaliatory attacks, the French news broadcaster BFM TV reported.

In addition to the carrier deployment, Paris has reinforced its air presence in the Gulf, with six additional Rafale fighter jets deployed to the United Arab Emirates in recent hours. Despite these measures, Vautrin ruled out sending additional troops to the region for now, emphasizing that France's posture remains 'strictly defensive.'

The defense minister also mentioned that no military assets were being mobilized to evacuate French nationals, noting that commercial flights remain available for those wishing to leave the region. 'The reality is that France is in a strictly defensive position; we have 400,000 people living in the Persian Gulf,' Vautrin said.

The US and Israel have continued a large-scale attack on Iran since Saturday, resulting in the death of 926 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and top military officials. In retaliation, Tehran has launched drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Gulf countries that are home to US assets.