Iran foreign minister tells France countries must refrain from escalating conflict

DUBAI, March 15 (Reuters) - Iran's foreign minister told his French counterpart that countries must refrain from any action that could escalate the conflict in the Middle East, Abbas Araqchi said in comments posted on his Telegram account on Sunday.

This comes after U.S. President Donald Trump called upon various states, including France, to deploy vessels to help secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked by Iran following U.S.-Israeli strikes on its territory.

About a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through the strait, a narrow passage of water between Iran and Oman.