UPDATE - French jets intercepted 'what they should' during Iran’s attack against Israel: President Macron

ADDS MORE REMARKS BY FRENCH PRESIDENT

By Nur Asena Erturk

French jets intercepted “what they should” during Iran’s attack against Israel, the French president said Monday.

“For years now, we have a military base in Jordan to fight against terrorism,” Emmanuel Macron recalled during an interview with broadcasters BFMTV and RMC.

“Jordan’s airspace was violated by those shots, our jets took off and we have intercepted what we should intercept,” he added.

Macron stressed that the move was done in support of Israel, and emphasized that it was strictly in the framework of protection and defense.

The president noted that France will continue working to stop a spillover in the region, to convince other countries in the region that Iran is a threat.

Macron also accused Iran of “disproportionate” retaliation after the Iranian diplomatic-military compound in Damascus was attacked on April 1.

Iran, instead of targeting Israeli interests outside its territory, went for Israel in its very territory, “which is unprecedented,” the French president said.

“What is important is to preserve Israel’s security,” he further added.

- France, ‘power of balance’

Macron said France tries to be a mediator power, talking to Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu, and cooperating with other actors in the region “whose security is at stake,” including Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.

“Here, France has a role to play, which is, as it played since the beginning, to be a power of balance,” the president explained.

He also recalled that the US changed position a while ago at the UN and decided to not block resolutions anymore, and added: “But mostly, the Americans have a very important role to play to contain Iran … via sanctions and limiting their access to nuclear weapons.”

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a barrage of drones and missiles at Israel late on Saturday in response to the April 1 attack on the Iranian Consulate in Damascus.

The attack, which killed seven Iranian military officials, including a senior IRGC commander, drew sharp reactions from the Iranian government officials, who vowed a "decisive response."

According to some unconfirmed reports, the IRGC fired more than 300 drones and missiles in an attack that lasted several hours, many of which were intercepted by Israeli air defense systems.

However, IRGC commander Gen. Hossein Salami told reporters in Tehran on Sunday morning that the operation was successful more than they had expected.

Meanwhile, speculation is rife that Israel may decide to retaliate, which experts believe could trigger an all-out regional war.