French president demands end to unacceptable strikes as regional tensions escalate
PARIS French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Iran to immediately halt its military actions against countries in the Middle East, warning that the ongoing escalation threatens to plunge the region into prolonged chaos.
During a telephone conversation with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian on Saturday, Macron demanded that Tehran put an immediate end to the unacceptable attacks Iran is carrying out against countries in the region, whether directly or through proxies, including in Lebanon and Iraq, according to a statement from the French presidency.
The diplomatic intervention comes amid a sharp spike in tensions across the Middle East, with multiple recent incidents raising fears of broader conflict.
Rising tensions
Hours before Macron’s call, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced it had launched coordinated missile and drone strikes targeting four United States airbases in the region. The IRGC claimed the attacks hit command centers and inflicted heavy damage, though the claims could not be independently verified.
The situation has prompted several European nations, including France, Germany and the United Kingdom, to urge their citizens to leave Iran and other parts of the Middle East due to the risk of rapid escalation and potential airspace closures.
Strategic waterway at risk
Macron specifically raised concerns about the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passageway through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil passes. Recent statements from Iran’s new Supreme Leader have called for continued closure of the strait, directly challenging global shipping lanes.
Freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz must be restored as soon as possible, Macron told Pezeshkian.
French demands
The French president presented three clear demands to his Iranian counterpart:
· An immediate halt to all offensive actions by Iran and its allied groups across the Middle East
· Restoration of safe passage for all vessels in the Strait of Hormuz
· Release of two French nationals, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, currently detained in Iran, whom Macron described as having endured an ordeal for too long
Macron stressed that France’s military presence in the region remains purely defensive, stating it is unacceptable for our country to be targeted.
Call for new security framework
Looking beyond the immediate crisis, Macron proposed a comprehensive solution for long-term stability. He argued that lasting peace requires “a new political and security framework” for the region that would guarantee Iran never acquires nuclear weapons and address threats posed by its ballistic missile program and other destabilizing activities.
The French presidency did not indicate how Pezeshkian responded to Macron’s demands during the call.
Background
The conversation marks the latest high-level diplomatic effort to contain spillover effects from regional conflicts. France maintains military assets in the Middle East and has previously mediated between international partners and Tehran over its nuclear program.
The reported death of a French soldier in a drone strike on a military base in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, two days before the call has added urgency to France’s diplomatic push, though the presidency did not confirm whether this was discussed.
By
Ogbonna Joshua Jideoffor
Original article
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