France says planning G7 finance meeting on Mideast

"We want to let a week go by to see how the conflict develops, how the markets evolve. We'll have the finance ministers and the central bank governors there as well."

France currently holds the rotating presidency of the Group of Seven advanced economies, which also includes Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

A first meeting of finance ministers under the French presidency was held on January 27.

Lescure said next week's meeting was expected to be an exchange of views.

"We're going to listen to what is coming up from the ground, from businesses, from economists in these different parts of the world," he added.

"The idea is to be able to discuss the state of the situation, so that we can assess any responses that might be needed, if we have to act.

"In a conflict which is currently a local conflict in one region but has global repercussions, it is obviously essential that we coordinate."

- Fuel prices -

The war in the Middle East, sparked by the US-Israeli bombing of Iran on Saturday, has in recent days led to a sharp fall in stock markets, particularly in Europe and Asia.

Since the start of the week, France's benchmark CAC40 index has lost more than five percent. Its German equivalent, the Dax, has fallen by nearly six percent, while London's FTSE 100 has dropped nearly four percent.

Investors are concerned about the sharp rise in hydrocarbon prices due to disruptions to supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, which handles some 20 percent of the seaborne world's oil and liquefied natural gas.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards insisted that they had "complete control" of the strategic waterway and that any vessels seeking to use it risked damage from missiles or stray drones.

But US President Donald Trump said the US Navy was ready to escort tankers through the shipping route.

Like many countries, France is watching for the impact of the war on petrol prices at the pump.

Junior energy minister and government spokesperson Maud Bregeon told BFMTV on Wednesday that they expected a "limited" short-term increase of "a few centimes".

"As for what happens next, it will depend on how intense the conflict becomes," she added.

But she stressed that there was "no risk whatsoever of a disruption to fuel supplies" because of stockpiles and diversified imports.

Asked about the possibility of measures to offset any price increases, she said it was "far too early to talk about that" and that the priority was to work towards reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Lescure said inspections would be carried out to ensure any increases in fuel prices were "reasonable".

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