French President Orders Aircraft Carrier Deployment to Mediterranean Amid Escalating Middle East Conflict
“I have ordered the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, its air assets, and its escort of frigates to set course for the Mediterranean,” Macron said, a day after warning that the crisis could spill over into Europe.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday that France will deploy an aircraft carrier strike group to the Mediterranean Sea in response to escalating tensions in the Middle East following recent US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran.
In a televised address, Macron said he had ordered the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, along with its air wing and escorting frigates, to head toward the Mediterranean as concerns grow over the conflict expanding beyond the region.
“I have ordered the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, its air assets, and its escort of frigates to set course for the Mediterranean,” Macron said, a day after warning that the crisis could spill over into Europe.
The French president also announced the reinforcement of defensive measures in Cyprus after Iranian-made drones struck the British air base at Akrotiri on the Mediterranean island.
“I have decided to send additional air defense assets and a French frigate, the Languedoc, which will arrive off the coast of Cyprus this evening,” he added.
The deployment follows US and Israeli military strikes launched against Iran on Saturday, which resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran has since responded by targeting US allies across the Middle East.
Macron criticized the decision by Washington and Tel Aviv to carry out military operations, saying they were conducted outside international law and were not supported by France. However, he also stated that Iran bears primary responsibility for the escalation, citing its nuclear program, support for regional proxy groups, and its handling of domestic protests earlier this year.
According to Macron, French forces have already engaged defensively during the early phase of the conflict, intercepting drones aimed at allied territories.
“We reacted immediately and shot down drones in self-defense in the early hours of the conflict to defend the airspace of our allies, who know they can count on us,” he said, referring to France’s defense agreements with Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.
The French deployment marks a significant increase in European military presence in the Mediterranean as international actors move to contain the rapidly widening regional crisis.