Olivier Cadic, Senator of the French established abroad
What we are experiencing in the Middle East is not just another crisis. It is a strategic shift. Since February 28, 2026, there has been an open conflict between the United States and Israel against Iran, marking the end of several decades of indirect confrontations. We have entered into a regional escalation of war that threatens global balance.
This conflict did not emerge out of nowhere. Since the Islamic revolution of 1979, the Iranian regime has made hostility towards Israel a cornerstone of its foreign policy, relying on armed proxies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, Iraqi militias, and the Houthis in Yemen to project its power. Added to this strategy is the Iranian nuclear program, an existential threat to Israel and the United States. It is this combination that has led to the current rupture.
The conflict now extends far beyond its initial participants. Iranian strikes have targeted Qatar, a producer of 20% of the world’s liquefied natural gas (LNG), and have hit the United Arab Emirates with 40% of the attacks. The Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil transits, has become a critical point of tension. The risk of a global economic shock is very real.
In Lebanon, Hezbollah has unilaterally decided to enter the conflict, dragging a country where neither the authorities nor the population wanted this war. Its operations are now directed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. This speaks volumes about the loss of sovereignty and the political deadlock. I ask directly: can we call for respect of Lebanese sovereignty without calling for the dissolution of Hezbollah, which follows the orders of a foreign power?
Behind these geopolitical balances, there are our compatriots, nearly 400,000 French people in the region. 70% have stayed. They are not fleeing, they are holding on, organizing themselves. I want to tell them: “France is by your side.” I also want to pay tribute to Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion, who died for France, and to his wounded comrades-in-arms.
France claims to be a power. It cannot just stand by and observe.
