[US-Iran War] Macron: "Deploying Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier to the Mediterranean"

"Rafale fighter jets deployed to the Middle East"
"Iran must bear primary responsibility"

Amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East, President Emmanuel Macron of France announced that France will deploy a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean.

Emmanuel Macron, President of France. Photo by Yonhap News

According to major foreign media outlets, including the Associated Press, President Macron stated in a pre-recorded address broadcast on French television on the 3rd (local time), “We have ordered the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its escort ships to move from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean.”

President Macron added, “Rafale fighter jets, air defense systems, and airborne radar systems have recently been deployed to the Middle East,” emphasizing, “We will continue these efforts as long as necessary.”

He further announced that France will support Cyprus’s air defense network following an attack by Iranian-made drones on a British Royal Air Force base on the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus. He stated, “We have decided to dispatch additional air defense assets and the French escort ship Languedoc, which is scheduled to arrive off the coast of Cyprus this evening.”

President Macron pointed out that there is no legal legitimacy to the attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran. He said, “The United States and Israel decided to conduct military operations outside the framework of international law, and we cannot approve of this.”

Nonetheless, he stressed that “the Islamic Republic of Iran must bear primary responsibility for the situation,” citing the development of Iran’s nuclear program, support for regional proxy forces, and the order to fire at anti-government protesters issued in January as examples.

President Macron revealed that, in the early stages of the conflict, French forces shot down drones as an “act of self-defense.” Referring to defense agreements with Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), he explained, “We responded immediately, shooting down drones in a self-defensive measure to protect allied airspace during the first few hours of the conflict.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.