Macron: France cannot permit US and Israel's military actions

Paris - French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said that the military operation launched by the United States and Israel violates international law and cannot be justified by France. In a televised address on the situation in Iran and the Middle East, Macron said the conflict sparked by the attacks carried out by the US and Israel has now spread across the region, causing serious consequences for peace and security. Macron confirmed that the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle has been deployed to the Mediterranean in response to the worsening situation in the region. The ship had previously been in Sweden to take part in military exercises. Macron also announced that the first two flights repatriating French citizens from the war-torn Middle East would arrive in Paris on Tuesday night local time. The French president added that France had responded swiftly, shooting down drones ‘in self-defence’ since the ‘early hours of the conflict’ involving Israel, the US, and Iran. On Sunday, French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin said on social media that a hangar at a French naval base located adjacent to the United Arab Emirates base had been hit by a drone attack targeting the Abu Dhabi port. The damage was limited to material losses, and there were no reports of injuries.