France says it downed drones “in legitimate defence”, will send the warship to Cyprus and deploy air-defence assets to allies as the first two repatriation flights head to Paris on Tuesday night.

In a televised address on Tuesday night, French President Emmanuel Macron blamed Tehran for the unfolding crisis while also criticising the US-Israeli strikes that triggered it, before announcing a raft of military and consular measures.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran bears primary responsibility for this situation," Macron said.

At the same time, he argued the initial Israeli-American military operations "were conducted outside international law," even as he urged the fighting to stop alongside Germany and the United Kingdom.

The address came four days after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, triggering retaliatory strikes across the region and raising fears of a broader escalation.

Macron confirmed that a second French military facility had been hit. "We have reinforced the security of our military bases in the region. Two of them have been subjected to limited strikes, causing material damage," he said.

He added: "We shot down drones in legitimate defence from the very first hours of the conflict."

He cited defence agreements linking France with Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, saying France owed them solidarity, and also mentioned commitments and partnerships involving Jordan, Iraq and Syria.

The head of state announced that France will deploy air defence capabilities to several of these allied countries as part of a "defensive" force.

He also warned against a potential Israeli ground operation in Lebanon, calling it "a dangerous escalation and a strategic mistake."

Earlier on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said French Rafale fighter jets had carried out air-security operations over French installations in the United Arab Emirates to protect them from further drone attacks.

The French President also warned that key maritime corridors were at risk and said France was taking the initiative to protect them.

"We are leading efforts to build a coalition to bring together the means to restore and secure traffic," in the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal, which he described as essential sea routes for global trade and energy supplies. (Euronews, 2026-03-03)