France is “ready to participate” in the defense of Gulf countries targeted by Iranian missile and drone attacks, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Monday, March 2.
Speaking at a press conference in Paris, Barrot expressed what he described as France’s “full support and complete solidarity” with countries he said had been “deliberately targeted by missiles and drones of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and drawn into a war they did not choose.”
Barrot specifically named the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and Jordan.
His comments follow Iranian missile launches across the region after US and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Iranian state media.
Several Gulf states have reported incoming projectiles or airspace violations in recent days, while regional governments have called for de-escalation.
France maintains military assets in the Middle East, including naval and air deployments, though Barrot did not detail what form potential French participation would take.