French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday, June 13, said that Israel had the right to protect itself, and called for "maximum restraint" from all parties following Israel's wave of strikes on Iran. Early on Friday morning, Israel pounded Iran in a series of air raids, striking around 100 targets including nuclear and military sites, as well as killing the armed forces' chief of staff.
"France reaffirms Israel's right to defend itself and ensure its security," Macron said in English, on X. "To avoid jeopardising the stability of the entire region, I call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to de-escalate." Macron spoke after convening a meeting of the National Defence and Security Council. "All necessary steps will be taken to protect our nationals and our diplomatic and military missions in the region," Macron said.
Earlier on Friday, France's foreign minister also urged restraint. "We call on all sides to exercise restraint and avoid any escalation that could undermine regional stability," Jean-Noël Barrot said on X.
Iran has gradually broken away from its commitments under the nuclear deal it struck with world powers, including the United States and France, in 2015. The landmark deal provided Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its atomic programme, but it fell apart after the US' unilateral withdrawal during President Donald Trump's first term in office, in 2018.