Macron warns of ‘uncontrolled escalation’ after US strikes on Iran

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged restraint following US air raids on Iranian nuclear sites, warning that the Middle East risks spiralling into “uncontrolled escalation”.

“No strictly military response can produce the desired effects,” Macron said during a defence council meeting in Paris on Sunday.

He stressed the need to revive talks: “The resumption of diplomatic and technical discussions is the only way to achieve the goal we all seek, which is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.”

Although Macron stopped short of directly condemning the US strikes, he made a renewed appeal for de-escalation in a call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, urging Tehran to “exercise the utmost restraint” and “renounce nuclear weapons”.

In a joint statement with the UK and Germany, Macron also urged Iran not to take steps that could “further destabilise the region”.

The French leader is scheduled to travel to Norway on Monday, followed by a NATO summit in the Netherlands on Tuesday, which US President Donald Trump is also expected to attend.

He also held separate talks on Sunday with leaders from Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE and Qatar.