French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called for an immediate halt to military strikes targeting civilian infrastructure, particularly energy and water facilities, amid escalating tensions in the Iran-Qatar conflict. He stressed the need to protect civilian populations and ensure the security of critical energy supplies.
In a post on social media platform X, Macron said he had spoken with US President Donald Trump and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani following recent attacks on gas production facilities in both countries. “It is in our common interest to implement, without delay, a moratorium on strikes targeting civilian infrastructure,” he wrote, urging immediate action to prevent further escalation.
The announcement comes after missile attacks on Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City on Wednesday, which caused extensive fires and damage, according to Qatar’s interior ministry and state-owned QatarEnergy. Earlier, Israel’s air force struck Iran’s major natural gas facility in Bushehr, in the country’s south, in what Israeli media reported as a coordinated operation with the US administration.
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Iran has condemned the attacks, with President Masoud Pezeshkian describing them as “aggressive acts” that could have uncontrollable consequences with global repercussions. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that retaliation could escalate the conflict, stating that “the equation of an eye for an eye is in effect, and a new level of confrontation has begun.”
The attacks have prompted evacuation warnings by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. The strikes mark the latest in a series of confrontations following the February 28 joint Israeli-US attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, which reportedly resulted in the deaths of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior military commanders, and civilians, leading to subsequent Iranian missile and drone strikes on US and Israeli targets in the region.
Macron’s call underscores growing international concern over the escalation in West Asia and the potential global ramifications of continued strikes on critical civilian infrastructure. Officials and analysts warn that without immediate restraint, the conflict could further destabilize regional security and energy markets.
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