Dr. Ma'moun Alshtaiwi

Specialist in French and Francophone Affairs

Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East between Israel and Iran, France emerges as a key player striving to maintain a difficult diplomatic balance. The French stance is characterized by caution, yet it is not without clarity: support for Israel’s right to self-defense, firm rejection of escalation, and occasionally critical positions toward both Israel and Iran—with a strong emphasis on diplomacy and international mediation.

The ongoing crisis between Israel and Iran is among the most complex in international politics, especially following the exchange of strikes that reached deep into both countries, and the continued threats from Tehran to retaliate. Iran’s June 2025 announcement of its intention to conduct a nuclear test further heightened global concern, prompting a range of international reactions—including France’s.

France’s Longstanding Policy Pillars in the Region

France has based its Middle East policy for decades on four key principles:
1.Israel’s security as a non-negotiable priority;
2.Opposition to nuclear proliferation, particularly in the Middle East;
3.Consistent advocacy for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians;
4.Support for regional stability through diplomatic means.

It is from these foundations that France’s position on the latest Israeli–Iranian crisis is derived.

France’s Public Position

1. Affirming Israel’s Right to Self-Defense

French President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly stated that “Israel has the full right to defend its territory and people against any missile or drone attacks”—a reference to Iran’s recent strikes targeting Israeli cities.

2. Warning Against Escalation and Reckless Retaliation

Despite its support for Israel, Paris has refused to take part in any direct attack on Iran, warning that “any excessive response from Israel could lead to a widespread regional explosion that would be difficult to control.” Macron emphasized the importance of “avoiding turning the Middle East into a major war zone.”

This position reflects France’s awareness of the risks escalation poses to countries such as Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq—as well as the direct threat to European interests.

3. Criticism of Tehran… in Calibrated Diplomatic Language

The French Foreign Ministry has described Iran as “a destabilizing actor in the region,” particularly due to its support for Hezbollah and the Houthis, and its ongoing uranium enrichment. However, France has maintained diplomatic channels with Tehran and sent discreet warnings against conducting a nuclear test, urging a return to nuclear negotiations.

Symbolic and Diplomatic Actions

1. Closure of Israeli Pavilions at the Paris Air Show

In a move seen as a double message, French authorities in June 2025 shut down four Israeli defense company booths at the Paris Air Show for displaying weapons deemed “offensive in nature.” This decision angered Tel Aviv, but Paris insisted it was a regulatory—not political—measure, albeit one that came at a sensitive time.

2. Abstaining from Immediate Sanctions on Iran

Unlike the United States and the United Kingdom, France did not announce new sanctions on Tehran following its strikes on Israel. However, it did help draft a unified European statement threatening sanctions if the nuclear test were to go ahead.

Analytical Reading of the French Stance

Balancing Between Allies

France finds itself in a delicate position: it is an ally of Israel, yet it is committed to avoiding full-scale confrontation with Iran. This explains its limited participation on the defensive front only, while simultaneously trying to act as a mediator.

Europe’s Priority: Preventing Nuclear Proliferation

As a nuclear power and permanent member of the UN Security Council, France views any nuclear expansion—especially by a state not party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty—as a global security threat. Therefore, it approaches the Iranian nuclear issue with the utmost sensitivity, pushing for a renewed diplomatic agreement instead of military escalation.

France’s Domestic Concerns

Paris is keenly aware that a Middle East explosion could trigger new waves of migration toward Europe, or increase sectarian tensions within France itself—which is home to millions of Muslims and Jews. Thus, Middle East stability is also a domestic interest for France.

France Between Principles and Interests

France’s position on the Israeli–Iranian crisis reflects a soft power approach rooted in a difficult balance between values and principles on one hand, and geopolitical and economic interests on the other. While France continues to support Israel, it does not abandon its efforts to protect the Iranian nuclear deal, contain the conflict, and prevent the region from becoming a powder keg that could explode on everyone.

In the absence of effective mediation by major powers, Paris may remain one of the few capitals still capable of playing a constructive role in dismantling this complex crisis.
mamoun.alshtaiwi@gmail.com