French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has been speaking to reporters in Paris about the crisis in the Middle East.

He criticised Israel and the United States for launching attacks on Iran without prior debate at the United Nations.

“The indefinite prolongation of military operations without a precise goal carries the risk of a spiral that would drag Iran and the region into a long period of instability whose outcome would be very uncertain and would harm our interests,” he said.

He also criticised Iran for its retaliatory attacks.

“Military escalation must stop as quickly as possible. The Iranian regime, which has now lost its guide, must end these attacks,” he said, adding that Iran “must resign itself to major concessions and a radical change of posture”.