Macron's recognition of the effect of the Iran war on France's protests Emmanuel Macron, the president of this country, saw the war with Iran, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the rise in fuel prices as the main reason for the purchasing power crisis and the growing dissatisfaction in France. Macron claimed in a television interview that the increase in fuel prices and the pressures on living, unlike some of the past protests, are not rooted in the internal decisions of the government.