France being targeted in regional escalation 'unacceptable': Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that it is "unacceptable" for France to be targeted amid the regional escalation following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Macron made the remarks in a post on X after speaking by phone with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

He said France acts strictly within a defensive framework aimed at protecting its interests, safeguarding its regional partners and supporting freedom of navigation, adding that he had called on Iran to immediately end the attacks it has carried out against countries in the region, whether directly or through proxies.

Macron also warned that the uncontrolled escalation currently unfolding risks plunging the entire region into chaos, with consequences that could affect not only the present situation but also the years to come.

He reiterated that freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz must be restored as soon as possible.

Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday called for the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route through which about one-fifth of the world's oil consumption passes.