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On October 2, France announced that it had sent more troops to the Middle East and requested the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to meet on the same day after Iran launched missiles towards Israeli territory.
In a statement issued after an emergency Cabinet meeting on tensions in the Middle East, the French President's office said France had deployed additional military forces to the region to demonstrate its commitment to Israel's security. The statement also called on Lebanon's Hezbollah to end its actions against Israel.
According to the French President's Office, the country has sent French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot to the Middle East to promote diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions.
Meanwhile, the French Foreign Ministry said France has proposed convening a UN Security Council meeting on the afternoon of October 2 (the same evening Vietnam time) to discuss the situation in the Middle East. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot also spoke with his US counterpart Antony Blinken to coordinate diplomatic efforts.
Last week, France and the US managed to secure a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon just hours before Israel launched air strikes in Lebanon that killed Hezbollah supreme leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
On September 30, France deployed a helicopter carrier to the Eastern Mediterranean to prepare for a scenario of evacuating foreign citizens from Lebanon.
Tensions in the Middle East have shown no signs of abating after Iran launched hundreds of missiles towards Israel. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it used domestically produced missiles in the series of missile launches on the evening of October 1 targeting strategic locations in Israel, while affirming that this was done within the framework of Iran’s legitimate right to self-defense and based on international law.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran had asked Washington not to intervene after Iran's missile attack on Israel, Tasnim news agency reported.
Meanwhile, Israel announced that more than 180 missiles were launched into its territory, an incident that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assessed as a "mistake" and vowed to respond appropriately.
In the face of escalating tensions, on the same day, October 2, a number of airlines operating in the Gulf region adjusted flight routes to ensure passenger safety.
Etihad Airways of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said it would reroute some flights scheduled for October 2 due to airspace restrictions in parts of the Middle East. Emirates Airlines has canceled all flights to and from Iraq (Basra and Baghdad), Iran and Jordan on October 2-3. Qatar Airways has temporarily suspended flights to and from Iraq and Iran due to airspace closures. Flydubai has canceled flights to Jordan, Iraq, Israel and Iran on October 2-3 due to temporary airspace closures. Meanwhile, Kuwait Airways has adjusted some flight routes.
