The French defense minister called Tel Aviv to adhere to international laws

According to Isna, French Defense Minister Sébastien LeCorneau said during an interview with Le Poin newspaper, referring to the escalation of tensions in West Asia and the actions that Paris can take, “First we need to know who is responsible for the agenda of insecurity and instability.” It is in the region.”

The French minister further mentioned the operations of the Lebanese resistance forces in the northern borders of the occupied Palestine during the past year, as well as the attacks of the Iraqi resistance against the international coalition and the operations of the Yemeni army against the ships related to the Zionist regime in the Red Sea.

Ignoring the crimes committed by the Zionists against the people of Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen and Syria, and referring to Paris’s support measures for the Zionist regime in Iran’s second missile operation against the occupied territories on October 1, the French Defense Minister said: “Israel’s security is not negotiable and for this reason France’s military resources were put on alert to prevent an Iranian attack on October 1.

Nevertheless, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated in a statement about Iran’s Tuesday evening missile attack on the occupied Palestinian territories: 90% of the shots hit the targets successfully.

Sebastien LeCorneau also added: “Israel must also be clearly called to its responsibilities in terms of respecting international law and protecting civilians. This is why France is calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon and using its military resources, including 700 French soldiers serving under the mandate of the United Nations in southern Lebanon, to support efforts to de-escalate tensions and comply with resolutions. The United Nations will continue. I would add that the security of the French forces is an absolute priority for us, because France has already paid so much for it.
“Finally, French military resources will be used to deliver humanitarian and health aid to civilians in Lebanon, as we have already done in Gaza.”

Rejecting the reduction of French influence in the region and referring to the inaction of the US, the French Defense Minister said: “This is a lie. France’s voice and perspective are respectable, especially since we are involved militarily in the region. 700 UNIFIL soldiers are still patrolling the blue line (the border between Lebanon and the occupied territories) under difficult conditions. Very few countries like us have direct access or even special envoys in the region. France also has a direct channel with Tehran. It is said that our de-escalation messages are not being listened to, but I think I can say that Americans sometimes have a hard time making their voices heard.”

An unprecedented strategic break since the Cold War

Referring to a part of the book of the Minister of Defense of France, in which it is stated, “France is not at war, but neither is it at peace”, reporter Lepuen inquired about its connection with the developments of the current period. “The period we are in is a new moment of strategic disruption, unprecedented since the end of the Cold War,” LeCorneau said. Old threats such as terrorism have not disappeared, while competition between great powers has resumed, including under the “nuclear umbrella”. Technological leaps, the militarization of space and digital technology, information warfare, and the exploitation of economic vulnerabilities allow competitors to implement threats whose impact can be very serious. “One of the dangers of France today is that it will fail without an invasion.”

Russia is the biggest threat to France

In response to which actor or country is the biggest threat to France today, he charged: “In addition to terrorist groups, obviously the Russian Federation. Moscow is even more aggressive than in 2022 or 2023, not only against our interests in Africa, but directly against our armed forces. Russia is also engaged in an information war. Recently, it published a fake list of names of French soldiers who were supposedly killed in the war in Ukraine to make people believe that France was one of the parties to the conflict. “Also, Russia is militarizing new environments such as the seabed or cyber operations.”

The Minister of Defense of France also said about his country’s relations with NATO: “In the discussion of the Atlantic alliance, people like Jean-Luc Melenchon and Le Pen use politics, but France is one of the founding members of NATO, its armies contribute a lot in terms of troops, planes, ships and soldiers. have “I believe that fighting to increase your influence and independence in NATO is more useful than arguing.”

end of message