France’s Actions Purely Defensive, Macron Tells Iran Amid Rising Tensions

Emmanuel Macron has urged Iran to immediately halt what he described as “unacceptable attacks” across the Middle East following a phone conversation with Masoud Pezeshkian.

In a post on X late Sunday night, the French leader said he conveyed strong concerns over Tehran’s actions in the region and warned that the escalating tensions could push the Middle East further into instability.

“I have just spoken with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian,” Macron wrote. “I called on him to 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.”

Macron stressed that France’s actions in the region are purely defensive and aimed at protecting its interests and allies.

“I reminded him that France is acting within a strictly defensive framework aimed at protecting its interests, its regional partners, and freedom of navigation, and that it is unacceptable for our country to be targeted,” he said.

The French president warned that the intensifying conflict is creating serious risks for regional stability.

“The unchecked escalation we are witnessing is plunging the entire region into chaos, with major consequences today and for the years to come,” Macron said, adding that ordinary citizens across the region are bearing the consequences.

“The people of Iran, like those across the region, are paying the price.”

Macron also reiterated the need for a new political and security arrangement to address longstanding tensions in the Middle East.

“Only a new political and security framework can ensure peace and security for all,” he said. “Such a framework must guarantee that Iran never acquires nuclear weapons, while also addressing the threats posed by its ballistic missile programme and its destabilising activities regionally and internationally.”

He further called for the restoration of maritime security in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

“Freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz must be restored as soon as possible,” Macron stated.

During the conversation, the French president also pressed the Iranian leader to facilitate the release of two detained French nationals.

“I also urged the Iranian President to allow Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris to return safely to France as soon as possible,” Macron said. “Their ordeal has gone on for far too long, and they belong with their loved ones.”

Tensions between Iran and Western countries have heightened in recent weeks amid concerns over regional security, maritime safety, and Tehran’s nuclear ambitions