French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated that France is ready to provide defense support if requested by its partners and reserves the right to intervene.
Following the retaliatory strikes by Iran after the U.S.–Israeli attacks, Barrot said that “if our partners request assistance, France is ready to defend them.”
Speaking to BFM TV, Barrot said, “This war… is dragging many countries in the region into a conflict in which we have interests, including our relations, defense agreements, and military bases.”
Barrot also noted that French Rafale fighter jets have carried out air operations to secure the airspace above France’s bases in the region.
The French Foreign Minister added that approximately 400,000 French citizens are currently in the Middle East and that “the French government is ready to repatriate those at greatest risk using commercial and military flights.”