Invited this Monday to "L'invité de 8h20: le grand entretien" on France Inter, Dominique de Villepin strongly criticized the military intervention led by the United States and Israel against Iran. According to the former Prime Minister, this offensive constitutes "a gamble" that could quickly turn into a "trap," with a risk of regional "quagmire."
Since Saturday, Washington and Tel Aviv have launched a series of strikes against Iranian targets. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed during these operations. While Dominique de Villepin acknowledges that the weakening of a regime accused of repression may bring relief, he nevertheless believes that "eliminating a leader does not solve the problem." In his view, the Iranian regime retains significant control and repressive capabilities.
"A gamble" that could become a "trap"
According to the former French foreign minister, the American strategy rests on the idea that a targeted strike could provoke a popular uprising and lead to regime change. But he warns against the opposite scenario: a hardening of the existing power structure and an asymmetric war involving regional actors allied with Tehran.
Dominique de Villepin also believes that this decision weakens the framework of international law. "The United States will pay a very high price for this disregard for the international order," he stated, denouncing "imperial logic" where force takes precedence over negotiation. He questions, in particular, the use of force while discussions were underway in Oman regarding the Iranian nuclear issue.
The former Prime Minister recalled the French position in 2003 against the intervention in Iraq, believing that recent history shows the risks of lasting destabilization after large-scale military operations.
Call for de-escalation and dialogue
Dominique de Villepin is advocating for a diplomatic initiative involving countries in the region and other international actors to prevent the conflict from escalating. According to him, "peace cannot be built by dropping bombs."
He calls for preserving the principles of international law and clarifying the objectives pursued by the United States, believing that a lack of a coherent strategy could lead to increased instability in the Middle East.
These statements come amid a military escalation. Following the US-Israeli strikes of February 28, Iran launched retaliatory attacks targeting Israel and several Gulf states. According to the Iranian Red Crescent, the bombings have killed more than 500 people in Iran.
