The Élysée Palace announced on Tuesday that President Emmanuel Macron has vehemently condemned the recent Iranian attacks on Israel, stating that France has mobilized its military capabilities in the Middle East in response to the Iranian threat.
During a defense council meeting, the French presidency expressed that Macron has demanded Hezbollah to cease its terrorist activities against Israel and its citizens. Additionally, he has urged the Israeli authorities to quickly bring an end to their military operations in Lebanon. The statement highlighted that Paris plans to soon organize a conference to support the Lebanese people and their institutions, with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Baro slated to visit the Middle East again shortly.
Earlier, Israel and the United States pledged to respond to the Iranian assault, which involved the launch of approximately 180 rockets, avenging the deaths of leaders from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. This marks the second Iranian attack on Israel in about six months.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard stated that the attack was in retaliation for the deaths of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, both attributed to Israeli strikes. Also killed was Abbas Nilforoushan, the Quds Force commander in Lebanon, during the Israeli raid on Beirut’s southern suburb last Friday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Iran’s action as a “grave mistake,” warning that Iran “will pay a price” for the bombings. The Israeli military asserted that the rocket attack would have consequences and that Israel would retaliate against Iran at a time and place of its choosing.
Washington, which assisted its ally in intercepting the missiles, stated that Iran must face “consequences” for its aggression, emphasizing coordination with Israeli officials for the response.
The United Nations Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss the escalation in the Middle East.
