Simon Gros

On 1 March 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron convened an emergency meeting of the Defence and National Security Council in Paris in response to the rapid deterioration of the security situation in the Middle East. The meeting followed a new phase of regional escalation triggered by joint United States and Israeli strikes on Iran, and by subsequent Iranian missile and drone attacks directed at military installations and other sites across the region. In his opening remarks, Macron stated that the scale and character of Iran’s response had introduced what he described as an unprecedented escalation, with attacks affecting not only military objectives but also civilian areas in partner countries.

Macron said that France’s immediate priority was the protection of French citizens, as well as the security of French military and diplomatic facilities and of French nationals residing in or travelling through the affected states. He indicated that French authorities had already begun implementing emergency measures on the basis of instructions issued the previous day, and that further assessments would be carried out on a country-by-country basis. These evaluations, he explained, were intended both to strengthen protective measures and to prepare for the repatriation of French citizens once regional airspace becomes operational again.

The French president also placed particular emphasis on the condition of France’s regional partners. He identified the United Arab Emirates as the country most exposed to the latest wave of attacks, while also noting that Qatar had become a major target. According to Macron, all states in the region had in some form been affected by the recent developments. He reported that, in the United Arab Emirates, a hangar at a French base located adjacent to an Emirati base had been struck in a drone attack aimed at the port of Abu Dhabi. The damage, he said, was limited to material losses and caused no injuries. Nevertheless, he presented the incident as evidence of the need to reinforce France’s defensive posture and to provide support to allied states with which France maintains defence commitments.

In diplomatic and strategic terms, Macron framed the French response as one of controlled vigilance rather than immediate escalation. He said that France would continue to stand alongside its regional partners and adapt its posture to what he described as unforeseen developments over the preceding hours. At the same time, he made clear that Paris regarded the attacks as unjustified and that France would not allow such actions to pass without response in the realm of security planning and allied coordination. His remarks therefore combined reassurance, deterrent signalling, and institutional caution.

The council meeting was also tasked with reviewing the broader operational and political trajectory of the conflict. Macron stated that the participants would examine not only the immediate strikes and counter-strikes, but also the evolving internal situation in Iran, the wider regional implications of the confrontation, and the risks posed to French national interests. In addition, the meeting was to consider the domestic implications for France, including possible security threats and the economic consequences likely to arise from an expanding Middle Eastern conflict.

Overall, the emergency session reflected a French effort to manage a fast-moving regional crisis through a combination of citizen protection, allied solidarity, military preparedness, and strategic evaluation. Macron’s remarks suggested that Paris viewed the conflict not as an isolated military exchange but as a broader regional emergency with humanitarian, diplomatic, security, and economic dimensions. France’s position, as presented at the opening of the council, was therefore one of heightened alert, active coordination with partners, and readiness to adjust national and regional policy in light of further developments.