PARIS — France’s military took part in efforts to stop Iranian drones targeting Israel prior to this week’s ceasefire, the country’s defense minister Sebastien Lecornu said late on Wednesday.

“I can confirm that the French army intercepted less than 10 drones in the last few days during the different military operations conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran against Israel, either by ground-to-air systems or via our Rafale fighter jets,” Lecornu said during a parliamentary debate on the situation in the Middle East.

Early in the war, French President Emmanuel Macron said that France could help defend Israel against an attack from Iran “if in a position to do so.”

Iran, meanwhile, had threatened to retaliate against US, UK, and French bases in the Middle East if they helped stop strikes on Israel, though it did not carry out that threat.

Iran launched some 550 ballistic missiles and  1,000 drones at Israel during the war, according to the IDF.

The vast majority of the drones, which are slower-moving but harder to track than missiles, failed to even make it to Israel’s borders. Just one drone hit a populated area, a home in the northern town of Beit She’an, causing heavy damage but no injuries.

Most of the missiles were intercepted by Israeli and American air defenses at an interception rate of around 90 percent, similar to the rate in Iran’s April and October 2024 attacks on Israel.

At least 31 ballistic missile impacts were reported in populated areas or critical infrastructure sites, including a power station in southern Israel, an oil refinery in Haifa, a university in central Israel and a hospital in Beersheba. Dozens of other missiles struck open areas, without causing significant damage.

Israel has said its sweeping assault on Iran’s top military leaders, nuclear scientists, uranium enrichment sites, and ballistic missile program, launched on June 13, was necessary to prevent the Islamic Republic from realizing its avowed plan to destroy the Jewish state.

Iran has consistently denied seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. However, it has enriched uranium to levels that have no peaceful application, has obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities, and expanded its ballistic missile capabilities. Israel says it has recently taken steps toward weaponization.

Iran’s ballistic missile attacks on Israel during the 12 days of war claimed the lives of 28 people — all but one of them civilians — and wounded over 3,000 people.

A US-brokered ceasefire began on Tuesday, ending the fighting.