ISTANBUL

French President Emmanuel Macron has said that France is “not waging war” in the Middle East and will not get involved in the ongoing conflict in the region.

Macron made the remarks in a voice message shared on Instagram in response to a young social media user who expressed concern about the repercussions of the Israeli-US offensive against Iran.

“I understand very well and I hear your concern, but I wanted to be very clear,” Macron said.

“France is not part of this war. We are not in the fight and we are not going to get involved in this war,” he added.

He stressed that Paris’ actions in the region are focused on protecting its citizens and allies rather than participating in the conflict, BFMTV reported.

“France is not waging war in this region. It is protecting French men and women, its allies, and it stands with Lebanon,” Macron said.

France has deployed additional military assets to the region, including the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, as tensions rise following Israeli and US strikes on Iran and Tehran’s subsequent retaliation.

According to Macron, the deployments are aimed at helping allies intercept drones and missiles and safeguarding maritime routes.

“We are mobilizing in a completely peaceful manner to try to secure maritime traffic,” he said.

Macron also said France is seeking to build a coalition with partners to protect sea routes in the region that are “essential to the global economy,” while emphasizing that Paris intends to act with restraint. “We will try to be as reasonable and peaceful as possible because that is France’s role,” he added.