Olivier Cadic, French Senator for French Citizens Abroad
What we are experiencing in the Middle East is not just another crisis. It is a strategic shift. Since February 28, 2026, an open conflict has been raging between the United States and Israel against Iran, marking the end of several decades of indirect confrontations. We are now in an escalating regional war that threatens the global balance.
This conflict did not arise out of nowhere. Since the Islamic revolution of 1979, the Iranian regime has made hostility towards Israel a cornerstone of its foreign policy by relying on armed proxies: 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 both Israel and the United States. It is this combination that has led to the current rupture.
The conflict has now extended far beyond its initial participants. Iranian strikes have hit Qatar, a producer of 20% of global liquefied natural gas (LNG), and targeted the United Arab Emirates in 40% of the attacks. The Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil passes, 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 political deadlock. I ask directly: can we call for respect for Lebanese sovereignty without calling for the dissolution of Hezbollah, obedient to a foreign power?
Behind these geopolitical balances, there are our compatriots, nearly 400,000 French citizens in the region. 70% have stayed. They are not fleeing, they are enduring, organizing. 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 injured comrades.
France claims to be a power. It cannot simply stand by and watch.
