US EditionFrance has authorised temporary presence of US aircraft on local bases ...
- On Thursday, the French general staff said US support jets were permitted at Istres with 'full guarantees' they would not participate in Iran strikes, limited to refuelling, by President Emmanuel Macron.
- Since last Saturday, France has adopted a 'strictly defensive' posture after US-Israeli strikes, and President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday called the operations 'outside international law' while ordering the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean.
- Speaking to RTL, France's Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin said on March 4, 2026, `a refuelling aircraft is a service station, it is not a fighter jet` and noted two French bases in the Emirates were attacked while six Rafale aircraft arrived.
- France required that assets accepted at Istres not participate in US operations in Iran and be used strictly to support defending partners, citing defence agreements with Qatar, Kuwait, and the Emirates, as well as commitments with Jordan and Iraq.
- Framed as logistics, the decision follows US-Israeli strikes last Saturday and the French general staff calls it 'a routine procedure within the framework of NATO,' while President Emmanuel Macron criticised the operations as 'outside international law.
56 Articles
56 Articles
They will not intervene in Iran’s attacks, but only to provide protection to its partners in the region. Learn more: Washington launches precision attacks with B-52 bombers on underground missile arsenals in Iran
France lets US planes use its bases for non-combat missions in Iran
France on Thursday confirmed it had temporarily allowed the US Air Force to use one of its bases for missions in Iran. The French military says it has guarantees that only planes not involved in carrying out strikes will land at the country's facilities.
France has given its permission this Thursday for U.S. military aircraft, but not fighters like those involved in the attacks in Iran, to use one of its air bases on French territory. It will not allow them to use other bases that the country has in the Middle East. Sources from the French Army General Staff emphasized to Efe that this permission has been given to "American aircraft in support of operations", without specifying of what kind, bey…
On Wednesday, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, transferred to Pedro Sánchez the solidarity of France over the threats of Donald Trump, who made up for interrupting the trade with Spain because of his decision not to allow the use of the American bases in the country. Diplomatic sources assured that the problem, in any case, did not go with France because the country has no NATO bases in its territory and did not feel challenged like other …
France has accepted that U.S. Air Force tankers will refuel at the Istres base near Marseille on their way to the Middle East. President Emmanuel Macron has received assurances that these aircraft will not participate in attack missions in Iran, but in support of the defense of France's partners in the region, such as the United Arab Emirates or Jordan, with which Paris has signed security agreements.Continue reading...
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