Why France is bolstering military presence in the Middle East, as Macron prepares for postwar talks
Macron said France’s military intervention was strictly “defensive” and aimed to avoid making the country a party to the war.
He reaffirmed this view after a French soldier was killed in a drone strike in Iraq on Thursday.
“We are not at war with anyone,” Macron said.
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Still, the French navy’s large-scale deployment, which it described as “unprecedented”, has made France the European country with the most significant presence in the region.
Macron, who visited the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier last week, said its presence in the Mediterranean showed “the strength of France: a balancing force, a force for peace.”
Here’s what you need to know about Macron’s strategy.
France’s major naval deployment
Macron announced the deployment of eight warships, two helicopter carriers and the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle with 20 Rafale fighter jets to the Eastern Mediterranean and the wider Middle East.
The French frigate Languedoc has left European Union member Cyprus to support anti-drone and anti-missile defence. Cyprus and France signed a new strategic partnership in December. Macron also said two French frigates were sent to the Red Sea to help ensure maritime security and freedom of navigation.
Macron said the warship deployment was aimed at allowing France to “intervene in emergencies” and evacuate French citizens if necessary.
France has more than 400,000 citizens in the Middle East; this number is more than in any other European country; more than half of them are in Israel and more than 60,000 in the United Arab Emirates.
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Other European countries, including Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Greece, have also deployed frigates to the region.
The French navy’s rapid deployment contrasts with the United Kingdom’s delay in dispatching the destroyer HMS Dragon, which left Portsmouth, England, on March 10.
Opposition parties in the UK accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government of moving too slowly to protect British bases in Cyprus and allies in the Middle East. The UK government has also sent Typhoon and F-35 fighter jets, helicopters and air defense systems to the region to help intercept Iran’s missiles and drones.
defending Gulf allies
France has important defense agreements with many countries in the region, including Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE, which has a permanent base in Abu Dhabi. France’s army, which has air and naval forces, doubled the number of Rafale warplanes in the region to 12.
French officials acknowledged that Rafale jets had intercepted drones targeting the UAE since the beginning of the war.
“We stand with our allies and friends,” Macron said during his visit to Charles de Gaulle. “There has been some ongoing interference in recent days.”
“We do this within the framework of our partnerships,” he said, without giving further details.
French forces are also deployed in Jordan and Iraq.
On Thursday, a French soldier died and many soldiers were injured in a drone attack in the Erbil region of Northern Iraq. They were training Iraqi units as part of a multinational counterterrorism mission in the country.
Former President Francois Hollande, who led France from 2012 to 2017, said it was important for France to show that it could protect its citizens and reassure its partners, but warned of the risks.
“We must be careful to ensure that our warships are not targeted, this is always a risky operation,” Hollande said. “Because if they are attacked, we have to respond.”
Historical ties with Lebanon
Macron is leading a diplomatic effort to halt the conflict in Lebanon, where at least 850 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced as the Hezbollah militant group enters a new round of war with Israel. Macron called on Hezbollah to stop the war and called on Israel to abandon any ground attacks.
Macron said France supported the Lebanese army as officials promised to “take control” of Hezbollah-held positions and take full responsibility for security in the country. Hezbollah’s arsenal specifically includes explosive drones similar to those used by Iran.
France has traditionally been a key supporter of Lebanon, a former French protectorate, and maintains 800 troops in the UN peacekeeping force there. The French government provided armored vehicles and operational military support to the country.
France sent 60 tons of emergency aid to Lebanon with a humanitarian aid flight to Beirut last week, officials said. The shipment included medicine, medical supplies, a mobile health unit, shelter materials, basic needs and baby food.
Contact with Iran continues
Macron became the first Western leader to speak with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian since the start of the war.
He said he called on Iran to stop attacks on regional countries. This objection had remained unanswered since the phone call on March 8.
Macron emphasized that a “diplomatic solution” was needed to end the tension and said that he and Pezeshkian agreed to remain in contact.
Macron also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, but there was no sign of tensions easing.
France hopes diplomatic efforts can bear fruit once the most intense phase of the conflict, which could last weeks or months, is over.
Macron also supports an international effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy corridor; so oil, gas and goods can flow freely again “when conditions permit.” He suggested that when wars ease, countries could use warships to escort tankers and container ships.
Political analyst Bertrand Badie, professor of international relations at Sciences Po Paris, said Macron has long tried to defend France’s role on the global stage.
Badie said Macron, with low approval rates at home and about a year left in his term, could make the most gains among European leaders by pursuing diplomacy.
“At this point we are having to greatly lower our expectations,” he said. “From a diplomatic perspective, what influence does France really have?”
“My assessment is that this crisis cannot be solved with French solutions,” Badie said. “There’s no point in living any illusions.”
