France’s Macron urges Iranian counterpart to avoid Mideast escalation

France’s President Emmanuel Macron urged his Iranian counterpart in a phone call earlier “to do everything to avoid a new military escalation” in the Middle East, the French presidency says.

“A new military escalation would be in no one’s interest, including Iran, and would lastingly harm regional stability,” Macron told Masoud Pezeshkian according to his office.

The French president called for an end to a “logic of reprisals” and for the “protection of civilian populations.”

Fears of a military escalation between Iran and Israel have surged following the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, in Tehran last week. Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel for the attack. Haniyeh was in the city for Pezeshkian’s inauguration ceremony, though Israel has not commented.

Hezbollah has also threatened to retaliate after Israel said it killed one of its military commanders in Beirut just hours before the Tehran attack.

“Iran should also commit to calling the destabilizing actors that it supports to the greatest restraint to avoid a conflagration,” Macron said.