Macron urges Iran to halt "unacceptable" attacks on Gulf states

French President Emmanuel Macron has held a phone conversation with Masoud Pezeshkian, during which the French president called on Tehran to immediately stop attacks against countries in the region.

“I called on him to put an immediate end to the unacceptable attacks Iran is carrying out against countries in the region, whether directly or through proxies, including in Lebanon and Iraq,” the president wrote on X, as per Caliber.Az.

Macron stressed that France is acting within a defensive strategy aimed at protecting its interests, regional partners and freedom of navigation, and said it is unacceptable for the country to become a target. According to him, the ongoing escalation could plunge the region into even greater chaos and have long-term consequences.

The French leader also said a new political and security framework must be created to ensure peace and security: "Such a framework must guarantee that Iran never acquires nuclear weapons, while also addressing the threats posed by its ballistic missile programme and its destabilising activities regionally and internationally."

He also stressed the importance of restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible.

In addition, Macron urged Iranian authorities to release French citizens Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris as soon as possible so that they can safely return to France.

By Khagan Isayev