France, together with its European partners, is preparing to propose a diplomatic initiative aimed at ending the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, the office of President Emmanuel Macron announced Wednesday.
During a National Security Council meeting, Macron instructed Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot to develop in the coming days “an initiative with close European partners that would propose a demanding negotiated settlement to put an end to the conflict,” though no further details on the plan’s specifics were provided.
Barrot has maintained regular contact with his German and British counterparts since Israel launched extensive air strikes on Iran last Friday. These three countries were key participants in the 2015 nuclear agreement that sought to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for sanctions relief—a deal the United States exited during Donald Trump’s first presidency.

Macron also called on Israel to cease attacks on Iranian targets unrelated to nuclear activities or ballistic missile programmes.
His office expressed concern about the escalation, noting that Israeli strikes were increasingly hitting sites not connected to Iran’s nuclear or missile capabilities, and that civilian casualties were rising in both Iran and Israel.
The French president emphasised the urgent need to halt military operations, warning that they pose serious threats to regional stability.
In addition, Macron instructed the foreign ministry to facilitate the safe departure of French nationals wishing to leave either Israel or Iran, though further details were not disclosed.