France Orders 4 Navy Warships to Indian Ocean

PARIS — France ordered an aircraft carrier battle group of four ships to head toward the Indian Ocean today to “protect our interests” as a result of increased tensions between Paris and Tehran, a defense ministry spokesman said.

Defense Minister Andre Giraud ordered the fleet to sail from its home port at Toulon on the Mediterranean coast after President Francois Mitterrand and Prime Minister Jacques Chirac held talks on the Franco-Iranian crisis and the situation in the Persian Gulf.

Navy spokesmen said the carrier Clemenceau, two destroyers and a support ship will leave Thursday morning.

France broke diplomatic ties with Iran on July 17, capping two weeks of squabbling and threats that began June 30 when French authorities tried to question an Iranian they suspected of having links to a series of terrorist attacks in Paris last year.