France is offering a special agreement in which the country, together with others, will secure traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, sources at the Elysee Palace, the French president's office, said. The French authorities want to separate the issue of Hormuz from the rest of the negotiations between the United States and Iran. France is therefore calling for "the issue of freedom of navigation to be separated from the rest", as it is a "matter of common interest". The president's office stated that the international naval force under Franco-British leadership can then "immediately" take over the security of shipping traffic in the important strait. Initial reactions in Washington and Tehran have been positive, it is reported.