The Israeli ambassador to France: "France is not a friendly power"

Joshua Zarka has hardened his tone towards France. Appearing on BFMTV, the Israeli ambassador to France refused to call France a hostile country, while affirming that it was a country "which is not a friendly power"Joshua Zarka places the Franco-Israeli relationship in a zone of acknowledged diplomatic tension, at the very moment when the war with Iran is reshaping the balance between Western allies.

The refusal of French overflights at the heart of the Israeli complaint

To justify his criticism, Joshua Zarka cited France's refusal to allow aircraft carrying military equipment to fly over its territory. Paris did not authorize Israel to use its airspace to transport American weapons intended for the war against Iran. The Élysée Palace subsequently asserted that the French position had not changed since the beginning of the conflict.

On BFMTV, Joshua Zarka also asserted that the ongoing conflict "It is not an endless war". According to him, "Since 2025 and the 12-day war, 90% of Iranian launchers have been destroyed, as well as the majority of production sites.". "A victory, especially without ground intervention, cannot take place in one or two weeks.", he added.

Donald Trump raises his voice even further against Tehran

Joshua Zarka's departure follows that of Donald Trumpwho stated that the United States would strike Iran "extremely harshly" for "the next two to three weeks," before adding: "We're going to take them back to the Stone Age." Donald Trump presented American military objectives as almost achieved, without giving a clear timetable for the end of hostilities.

In response, the Iranian army promised attacks "overwhelming" against the United States and Israel. In a statement broadcast on state television, the Khatam al-Anbiya operational command declared: "With faith in Almighty God, this war will continue until your humiliation, your dishonor, your final regrets, and your surrender."before specifying: "Expect even more overwhelming, far-reaching, and destructive actions." Furthermore, Tehran denies any discussions, through mediators, on a temporary truce.

Four salvos of Iranian missiles after Donald Trump's speech

On the ground, the Israeli army reported having intercepted four salvos of Iranian missiles in six hours, at least two of which occurred after Donald Trump's address. Four people sustained minor injuries. The extent of the damage could be attributed to the use of cluster munitions, which explode in flight before scattering submunitions.

An increasingly strained Franco-Israeli relationship

Joshua Zarka's statement reflects a broader deterioration in relations between Paris and Israel. Between Donald Trump's criticism of France, the controversy over military overflights, and Israel's announcement of the suspension of its arms purchases from France, the Iranian issue is now acting as an accelerator of already existing diplomatic tensions.