French President Emmanuel Macron has warned Iran that attacks targeting French forces or interests in the Middle East are “unacceptable,” following a direct phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian amid rising regional tensions.
In a message posted on the social media platform X, Macron said he urged the Iranian leader to immediately halt attacks carried out by Iran or its allied groups across the region, including operations in Lebanon and Iraq.
“I called on him to put an immediate end to the unacceptable attacks that Iran is carrying out against countries in the region, whether directly or through proxies, as in Lebanon and Iraq,” Macron said.
The French president emphasized that France’s military activities in the Middle East are strictly defensive, aimed at protecting its national interests, supporting regional partners, and ensuring freedom of navigation in key maritime routes.
Macron’s remarks come shortly after a drone attack in northern Iraq killed a French soldier and wounded several others, an incident that significantly heightened tensions between Paris and Tehran.
He also stressed the need to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global shipping route that has faced disruption during the ongoing regional crisis.
Warning of broader consequences, Macron said the current escalation risks plunging the Middle East into chaos and harming civilians across the region.
“The uncontrolled escalation we are witnessing is plunging the entire region into chaos with major consequences today and in the years to come,” he said. (Business Standard)
Macron added that long-term stability would require a new political and security framework addressing Iran’s nuclear ambitions, ballistic missile program, and regional activities.
The diplomatic exchange comes amid a rapidly intensifying conflict in the Middle East, where attacks involving drones, missiles, and proxy groups have increased tensions among regional and international powers.
English (United States) ·