France Confirms Military Interception of Iranian Drones Targeting Israel During 12-Day War
Defense Minister Lecornu reveals French forces downed drones amid Iran-Israel escalation, marking rare military involvement in Middle East conflict.
Watan-French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that the French military took part in intercepting Iranian drones targeting Israel shortly before the ceasefire came into effect earlier this week.
Speaking during a late-night parliamentary session on Wednesday regarding the Middle East crisis, Lecornu stated:
“I can confirm that the French army intercepted fewer than 10 drones in recent days during Iran’s various military operations against Israel—either with our surface-to-air defense systems or with our Rafale fighter jets.”
Lecornu revealed that Iran launched nearly 400 ballistic missiles and 1,000 drones toward Israel over the course of the 12-day conflict.
The war began on June 13, when Israel launched airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, resulting in the assassination of several top Iranian military officials and the deaths of a number of nuclear scientists. According to Iranian authorities, the strikes killed 610 people and injured around 5,000 across the country.
In retaliation, Iran launched missile and drone attacks that killed at least 28 people in Israel and damaged hundreds of buildings, before a ceasefire agreement was reached and took effect on Tuesday.
