The Iran war requires a 'serious' approach that does not change every day, Emmanuel Macron has said, in an apparent reference to US President Donald Trump's seemingly contradictory remarks about the conflict.
This is not a show. We are talking about war and peace and the lives of men and women, the French president told journalists upon arrival in South Korea for a state visit.
When you want to be serious you don't say every day the opposite of what you said the day before, Macron added.
Macron was answering questions on the US-Israel war in Iran, which has now entered its second month. France and other European countries have supported some of the US operations in the region, but have so far resisted getting dragged into the war.
Trump and his administration have so far offered mixed messages on the conflict, at various times suggesting that a ceasefire was near, that the war had already been won, or that the US was going to fight on.
Macron also addressed Trump's recent comments in which the US president said he was reconsidering his country's membership of NATO. Alliances like NATO are valuable because of what is unspoken – meaning the trust behind them, said Macron, arguing that casting doubt on one's commitment to the organization emptied it of its substance.
Moreover, Macron commented on Trump's disparaging remarks concerning his marriage. For Donald Trump to speak to him like that and to speak of his wife in such a manner - I find that absolutely unacceptable, remarked a senior French politician.
In addition to commenting on the diplomatic front, Macron reacted to the increasingly tense atmosphere surrounding military escalations, reinforcing that a military operation to liberate the Strait of Hormuz seems unrealistic given the risks implied.
