President Emmanuel Macron said on a visit to Cyprus on Monday that France and its allies were working to put together a “purely defensive” mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He said the mission would be aimed at escorting vessels “after the end of the hottest phase of the conflict” in the Middle East to ensure the flow of oil and gas – as the war pitting  the US and Israel against Iran entered its second week, sending global oil prices soaring.