Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Macron: France stayed out of coalition against Houthis to avoid ‘escalation’
France stayed out of a Britain-US coalition that carried out airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels who have attacked shipping in the Red Sea as Paris feared an escalation, says French President Emmanuel Macron.
“France has decided not to join a coalition that has carried out pre-emptive strikes against the Houthis on their soil. Why? Precisely because we have a position that seeks to avoid any escalation,” Macron told reporters, emphasizing that the subject was not “military” but “diplomatic.”
