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French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian to stop attacking Gulf countries and ensure the free flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Macron, in a post shared on X on Sunday night, disclosed that he spoke with Pezeshkian and highlighted his demands.
Since late February, Iran has carried out missile and drone attacks on several Gulf nations, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
The attacks on those regions followed the coordinated joint strikes launched against Iran by the United States and Israel.
Rather than limiting its response to Israel or US bases, Iran’s retaliation expanded to include Gulf states, either directly or because those countries host US/Israeli military assets and supply networks. Gulf nations temporarily closed airspace and activated air defences as attacks hit airports and bases.
The French President called on Pezeshkian to cease its attacks on the affected countries, adding that the conflict is plunging the region into chaos, with major consequences today and for the years to come, and Iranians are paying the price.
I have just spoken with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian.
I called on him to put an immediate end to the unacceptable attacks Iran is carrying out against countries in the region, whether directly or through proxies, including in Lebanon and Iraq. I reminded him that France…
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) March 15, 2026
“I called on him to put an immediate end to the unacceptable attacks Iran is carrying out against countries in the region, whether directly or through proxies, including in Lebanon and Iraq,” said Macron.
“I reminded him that France is acting within a strictly defensive framework aimed at protecting its interests, its regional partners, and freedom of navigation, and that it is unacceptable for our country to be targeted.”
Macron also called for a new political and security framework that can ensure peace and security, stressing that such a framework must guarantee that Iran never acquires nuclear weapons, while also addressing the threats posed by its ballistic missile programme and its destabilising activities regionally and internationally.
The French President also requested the release of two French nationals who had been jailed on charges of spying for France and Israel.
“I also urged the Iranian President to allow Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris to return safely to France as soon as possible. Their ordeal has gone on for far too long, and they belong with their loved ones.”
