PARIS/ROME, March 13 (Reuters) - France and Italy have opened talks with Iran seeking to negotiate a deal to guarantee safe passage for their ships through the Strait of Hormuz, the Financial Times reported on Friday, although Italy denied the report.
Shipping in the Gulf and along the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which carries around a fifth of the world's oil, has come to a near-standstill since the U.S. and Israel began strikes on Iran on February 28, sending global oil prices surging to highs not seen since 2022.
France is one of the European nations involved in talks with Tehran, while Italy had sought to make contact with the Iranians, the FT reported.
An Italian foreign ministry source denied the FT report.
"In their diplomatic contacts, Italian leaders want to favour the conditions for a general military de-escalation, but there is no under-the-table negotiation aimed at preserving only some merchant ships at the expense of others," the source said.
A French official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said France had channels of communication with Iran that are still open, but would not confirm or deny the story.
The Elysee did not respond to a request for comment.
France is deploying about a dozen naval vessels, including its aircraft carrier strike group, to the Mediterranean, Red Sea and potentially the Strait of Hormuz as part of defensive support to allies threatened by the conflict in the Middle East.
(Reporting by Chandni Shah in Bengaluru, Angelo Amante, Michel Rose and John Irish; Writing by Gabriel Stargardter, Editing by Toby Chopra)
