French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that the United States and Israel acted in violation of international law with their recent strikes on Iran, as he France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to leave the Baltic Sea and redeploy to the Mediterranean to help safeguard allied assets amid the ongoing Middle East war.
Macron said Iran itself "bears primary responsibility" for the U.S.-Israeli action, but added: "the United States of America and Israel have decided to launch military operations; they were conducted outside international law, which we cannot approve."
In a pre-recorded speech on French TV, Macron added that Rafale fighter jets, air-defense systems, and airborne radar systems have been deployed over the past few hours in the Middle East.
"And we will continue this effort as much as necessary,” Macron said.
In a televised address to the nation, Macron said that action needed to be taken with the Straits of Hormuz closed and the Suez Canal and Red Sea shipping routes threatened by the widening conflict. "We have economic interests to protect, because oil prices, gas prices and the international trade situation are being profoundly disrupted by this war.," Macron said.
He said France had also sent a frigate to Greek Cyprus and had shot down drones in the skies above its Gulf allies.
Rafale jets were among the assets being used.
"We have defense agreements that bind us to Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. The latter are particularly targeted, and we owe them solidarity," Macron said. He said France was helping its citizens who wanted to leave the region get out and that two flights were due to arrive in Paris on Tuesday evening. Security had also been reinforced at some sites in France, he added.
