French President Emmanuel Macron has said that while the United States’ objective of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons is justified, its recent military strikes on Iran were not lawful under international law.
“While there may be a certain legitimacy in neutralising Iran’s nuclear infrastructure given the shared objectives, there is no legality in these strikes,” Macron told reporters during a visit to Norway on Monday.
Speaking alongside Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Macron emphasised France’s longstanding position that halting Iran’s nuclear ambitions should only be pursued through diplomatic and technical means.
“We have consistently believed from the beginning that this can only be achieved through diplomatic and technical means,” he said.
Støre echoed Macron’s concerns, saying, “International law has some clear principles on the use of force. The Security Council can grant it, or it can be in pure self-defence.” He added that the strikes were therefore “outside the realm of international law.”
The French leader also reiterated his opposition to any attempt at toppling the Iranian regime by force. “Every time we’ve made this choice, whatever the legitimacy of the initial approach… we made a mistake,” Macron said, noting that such interventions had failed to bring stability in previous conflicts.
Macron further criticised Israel’s recent strikes on Iran’s Evin prison, describing them as unrelated to Israel’s declared aim of dismantling Tehran’s nuclear programme and warning they had put civilian lives at risk.
The French president also expressed concern over the potential global economic fallout if Iran were to shut down the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for recent attacks.
“The consequences for the global economy, especially for China and many others, would be massive, and I think it would prompt a lot of reactions,” Macron warned.
