France is “ready” to defend Gulf countries and Jordan against Iran if necessary, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Monday.
Iran has launched a series of missile and drone strikes on several Gulf countries, saying it is targeting US bases. The attacks followed US-Israeli missile strikes from Saturday that reportedly killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“To allied countries that have been deliberately targeted by the missiles and drones of the (Iranian) Revolutionary Guards and dragged into a war they did not choose — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Jordan — France expresses its full support and complete solidarity,” Barrot said.
“It stands ready, in accordance with the agreements that bind it to its partners and with the principle of collective self-defence provided under international law, to take part in their defence,” he added.
Barrot disclosed that an estimated 400,000 French citizens are residents or currently visiting countries in and around the Gulf, underscoring Paris’ concerns over the safety of its nationals.
On Sunday, France, Germany and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement declaring their readiness to defend their interests and those of their allies in the Gulf if required.
“Iran’s reckless attacks have targeted our close allies and are threatening our service personnel and our civilians across the region,” the three European powers said.
“We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through enabling necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones at their source,” the statement added.
Fresh strikes were reported across the Gulf on Monday, including in the cities of Dubai, Doha and Manama. Iran’s army said it had used 15 cruise missiles in attacks on a US air base in Kuwait and vessels in the Indian Ocean.
The escalation marks one of the most serious regional confrontations in recent years, raising fears of a broader conflict involving global powers and key energy-producing states.
