Macron orders aircraft carrier to move to the Middle East

The situation in the Middle East is heating up. French President Emmanuel Macron has ordered the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to head to the Middle East. Macron ordered the carrier to sail to the Mediterranean. “In facing this unstable situation and the uncertainty of the days to come, I have ordered the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, its air assets, and the escorted frigate to sail to the Mediterranean,” Macron said in a speech, reported by AFP and France 24, on Wednesday (4/3). In a previous speech, Macron added that the fighter jets of the Rafale, air defence systems, and air radar systems had been deployed in the Middle East over the past few hours. “And we will continue this effort as much as possible,” Macron said. France Supports Its Strategic Partners Macron also spoke about the Monday (2/3) attack on a British airbase in Cyprus. He added that Cyprus is a member of the European Union, which recently signed a strategic partnership with France. “This requires our support. That is why I have decided to send additional air defence assets there as well, together with the French frigate Languedoc, which will arrive off the coast of Cyprus later tonight,” Macron said on Tuesday (3/3) local time. In a French defence council meeting last Sunday, Macron said France would raise its deterrence posture in the Middle East to protect its citizens and bases there. Also to support countries in the region targeted by Iran in retaliation for Israel–United States actions. Want to Add Nuclear Weapons Macron also previously said France wanted to increase the number of nuclear warheads it possesses. France is the only country in the European Union with nuclear weapons. Macron previously stated that France could play a nuclear shielding role for European Union nations, especially given concerns about the security relationship with the United States. France currently has around 290 nuclear warheads. That makes it the fourth-largest nuclear power in the world after the United States, Russia and China. However, Macron did not specify how many additional warheads would be produced. He also said the French nuclear doctrine would be expanded with closer cooperation with European countries such as Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark. France has four nuclear-powered submarines able to operate covertly across the world’s oceans with a range of around 10,000 kilometres. In addition, France has Rafale fighter jets capable of firing nuclear-armed cruise missiles with a range of around 500 kilometres. It is known that France last increased its nuclear weapons stockpile in 1992. Relations with the United States had soured earlier this year when US President Donald Trump appeared to want to seize Greenland, a Danish territory that is also EU and NATO member. Although that stance later changed, many European countries began to doubt Washington’s policy direction in the future, even after Trump’s term ended. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also said that German Air Force aircraft could be used to transport France’s nuclear bombs.