Paris, France – Tuesday — French President Emmanuel Macron has ordered France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, to move from the Baltic Sea to the Eastern Mediterranean as the war involving Iran, Israel and the United States intensifies.
In a televised address Tuesday, Macron said the carrier strike group — including its air wing and escorting frigates — will help protect allied assets and stabilize the region. Rafale fighter jets, air-defense systems and airborne radar aircraft have already been deployed to the Middle East in recent hours, he added.
“We will continue this effort as much as necessary,” Macron said, citing a recent strike on a British air force base in Cyprus. Cyprus is a European Union member state and recently signed a strategic partnership agreement with France.
The Charles de Gaulle is France’s flagship nuclear-powered carrier and significantly boosts Europe’s naval presence in the Mediterranean at a time of expanding regional conflict.
Meanwhile in Washington, Sen. Richard Blumenthal told reporters after a classified briefing with Trump administration officials that he is “more fearful than ever” that the United States may eventually deploy ground troops if hostilities continue to escalate.
The deployment underscores growing European military involvement as missile strikes, airspace closures and naval positioning widen the conflict zone across the Middle East.
Further military movements are possible as allied nations reassess force posture in the region.
