France deploying helicopter carrier to Mediterranean to boost military presence in region

ISTANBUL

France is deploying a helicopter carrier to the Mediterranean in a bid to further boost its military presence in the region amid rising tensions in the Middle East following US and Israeli military strikes on Iran.

The joint defense staff announced Friday that France is deploying the Tonnerre, an amphibious helicopter carrier, to the Mediterranean, according to broadcaster BFM TV.

It will join the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which reportedly arrived in the region earlier in the day after having been previously deployed in the Baltic Sea.

Announcing that Charles de Gaulle was heading to the Mediterranean, Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin said Thursday that its deployment is not aimed at securing the Strait of Hormuz but rather at reinforcing security in the Mediterranean region.

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran on Saturday, killing more than 1,000 people, including Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, over 150 schoolgirls, and senior military officials.

Iran has retaliated with sweeping barrages of its own that have targeted US bases, diplomatic facilities, and military personnel across the region, as well as multiple Israeli cities. The attacks have continued to escalate.