The French President Emmanuel Macron ordered on Tuesday, March 3, that the French nuclear aircraft carrier move from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean to help protect allied assets during the ongoing war in the Middle East. Macron said that the Charles de Gaulle will be escorted by its air wing and its escort frigates.
In a pre-recorded TV address broadcast in France, Macron added that Rafale fighter jets, air defense systems, and airborne radar systems had been deployed in the last hours in the Middle East. “And we will continue this effort for as long as necessary,” Macron said.
He cited Monday’s attack on a British air base in Cyprus, adding that Cyprus is an EU member with which France recently signed a strategic partnership.
“This requires our support. That’s why I decided to also send additional air defense assets there, along with a French frigate, the Languedoc, which will reach the coast of Cyprus later tonight,” Macron said.
France, the United Kingdom and Germany had previously said they were not involved in attacks on Iran, but were prepared to allow necessary and proportionate defensive actions to destroy Iran’s ability to fire missiles and drones.
Macron said France has defense agreements that bind the EU nation to Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, as well as strong commitments to Jordan and Iraq.
Observing that the war has spread to Lebanon, Macron said the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah committed “the grave error of attacking Israel” and endangering the Lebanese people, but warned against Israel launching a ground operation.
*Source: Associated Press.
Content translated with the help of Artificial Intelligence, reviewed and edited by the Broadcast Editorial Team, the real-time news system of Grupo Estado.
