PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday ordered France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to move from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean to help protect allied assets during the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Macron said the Charles de Gaulle will be escorted by its air wing, and its escorting frigates.
In a pre-recorded speech aired on French TV, Macron added that Rafale fighter jets, air-defense systems, and airborne radar systems have been deployed over the past few hours in the Middle East.
“And we will continue this effort as much as necessary,” Macron said.
He cited Monday’s strike on a British air force base on Cyprus, adding that Cyprus was a member of the European Union with which France has recently signed a strategic partnership.
“This requires our support. That is why I have decided to send additional air-defense assets there as well, along with a French frigate, the Languedoc, which will arrive off the coast of Cyprus later this evening,” Macron said.
France, the U.K. and Germany have previously said that they weren’t involved in the strikes on Iran, but were prepared to enable necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones.
Macron said France has defense agreements binding the EU nation to Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as strong commitments to Jordan and Iraq.
Noting that the war had spread to Lebanon, Macron said the Iran-backed militant Hezbollah group made “the grave mistake of striking Israel” and putting the Lebanese people in danger but warned against Israel launching a ground operation.
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