France Accuses Iran of Provoking US by Violating Ceasefire Amid Middle East Tensions

France has said that Iran provoked the latest attack from the United States (US) by violating the ceasefire agreement.

Speaking to the AFP news agency on Thursday (9 July 2026), French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot made the remarks when asked about the latest US attack on Iran during an interview with the TF1 television channel.

“It was Iran that, by targeting ships sailing in Omani waters, violated its own commitment as well as international law,” Barrot said in the interview.

“Iran has violated the agreement reached with the United States,” he added.

Furthermore, Barrot called for calm among the conflicting parties.

“Such manoeuvres must genuinely stop so that these crucial negotiations can continue under the best possible conditions,” the French Foreign Minister said.

The US and Iran resumed attacking each other from Tuesday (7 July) through to Thursday (9 July), in a struggle for control of the Strait of Hormuz, which is strategic and vital to global oil and gas supplies.

The US military explained that its latest strikes were a response to attacks on three commercial vessels, including Qatari and Saudi ships, passing through the Strait of Hormuz in recent days. Washington believes Tehran was behind those attacks.

Iran retaliated by bombarding US military facilities in the Gulf region, particularly in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Both Washington and Tehran have accused each other of violating the ceasefire. The US military considers the attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz to be a breach of the ceasefire agreement between the two countries.

Tehran, meanwhile, accused Washington of violating the ceasefire through various actions, ranging from the recent spate of US attacks, the reimposition of sanctions on Iranian oil, and violations of the “adjustments” Iran applied in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as Israel’s continuing attacks on Lebanon.