Macron also offers nuclear deterrence support to European partners amid global rising tensions.

On Monday, Foreign Affairs Ministry Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed that France is ready to participate in the defense of the Gulf countries and Jordan under binding agreements.

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Nevertheless, he said military action against Iran should have been debated before the United Nations Security Council prior to unilateral moves by Israel and the United States.

He also called for an end to the conflict, warning that the indefinite continuation of military operations without a clear objective “carries the risk of a spiral that could draw Iran and the region into a prolonged period of instability.”

His remarks came as Britain, France and Germany said in a joint statement released Sunday that they are ready to take “necessary and proportionate defensive action” against Iran, including steps aimed at destroying its capability to launch missiles and drones at their source.

France to Share Its Nuclear Arsenal With European Partners

On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced an increase in his country’s atomic arsenal and offered to extend France’s nuclear deterrence to its European partners, while reserving the ultimate decision on its use.

In a speech delivered at the French nuclear submarine base in L’Île Longue, Macron said he would not hesitate to press the nuclear button if he sees the nation’s vital interests threatened, at a time when he detected “a risk that conflicts could cross the nuclear threshold.”

“I have ordered an increase in the number of nuclear warheads in our arsenal,” the French president said, adding that he will no longer disclose the total number, as an additional element of France’s atomic deterrence.

He also announced the construction of a new nuclear-powered submarine capable of launching atomic missiles, to be named “The Invincible,” which is scheduled to be launched in 2036.

Facing what he described as a “dangerous and unstable” world, in which a conflagration on Europe’s borders is possible, Macron called for strengthening France’s nuclear capability and made clear he would use it if necessary.

“Our country possesses this extraordinary weapon, which forms the basis of our defense. The ultimate decision to use it rests with the president. I will not hesitate to take whatever decision is indispensable for the protection of our vital interests,” he said.

“If we were to use the nuclear weapon, no state would be spared. Each of our submarines has firepower equivalent to all the bombs that fell on Europe during WW2, a thousand times more powerful than the first atomic bombs,” he said.

In a highly martial setting, with a large submarine behind him and surrounded by military personnel, Macron said the nuclear weapon is the cornerstone of France’s defense, but stressed that the country’s vital interests “do not stop at the border” and also include the European continent.

In that regard, he said the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden, and Denmark are already cooperating with France in “advanced deterrence,” which includes attack detection infrastructure, and he opened the door for other countries to join.

Currently, France and the United Kingdom are the only two Western European countries with their own nuclear arsenals, both developed during the Cold War to maintain an independent deterrent separate from that provided by the United States.

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: Xinhua – EFE

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