US strikes on Iran ‘outside international law,’ says Macron

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron said the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that began Saturday and killed the country's supreme leader were conducted "outside of international law" and that Paris "cannot approve of them."

Though Macron laid the blame for the current conflagration in the Middle East squarely on Iran during an address on national television Tuesday night, his criticisms could land him in hot water with Washington.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's decision to publicly slam the war as illegal and bar American military planes from using Spanish bases in attacks on Iran prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to threaten to cut off trade with Madrid at a press conference Tuesday.

While German Chancellor Friedrich Merz did not leap to the defense of his Spanish counterpart at the White House press conference where Trump made his trade threat, Macron now seems to be aligning more closely with Sánchez's view of the illegality of the war.

Despite Trump saying he believes the fight will last a matter of days or weeks, Macron during his speech warned that the conflict does not have an obvious end in sight.

"Strikes will likely continue in the coming days to weaken Iran and destroy its counterattack capabilities. And in response, Iranian strikes in the whole region are expected to continue," Macron said.

To protect French interests in the Middle East, Macron said that the Charles de Gaulle, the country’s only aircraft carrier, was being deployed to the Mediterranean alongside fighter jets and air defense systems.

"We will continue this effort as long as it is needed," he said. 

Macron also confirmed that France had sent anti-missile systems to Cyprus, as previously reported by POLITICO.

"Cyprus, an EU member state, a country with which we have signed a strategic partnership … requires our support," he said. 

Macron insisted that France’s "credibility" was at stake and Paris needed to honor its defense agreements with allies such as Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, where about 800 French military personnel are stationed.

Iranian drones struck a French naval base in the UAE on Sunday, though no injuries were reported.

French fighter jets flew over the UAE this weekend as part of "sky security operations," French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Tuesday.