Macron said the deployment of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle along with eight warships and two helicopter carriers is strictly “defensive” and designed to protect French nationals and regional partners without making France a direct party to the conflict.

The deployment comes after a French soldier was killed in a drone attack near Irbil in northern Iraq, where French forces are training Iraqi units as part of a multinational counterterrorism mission.

France has also strengthened its air presence in the United Arab Emirates, doubling the number of Rafale fighter jets at its base in Abu Dhabi to 12. French authorities said Rafale jets have intercepted drones targeting the UAE since the conflict began.

France maintains defense agreements with Gulf states including Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE, and also has forces deployed in Jordan and Iraq. Officials say the naval presence will help respond to emergencies and facilitate the evacuation of French nationals if needed. France has more than 400,000 citizens living in the Middle East, including large communities in Israel and the UAE.

Alongside the military buildup, Macron has intensified diplomatic outreach. He has spoken with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump, calling for a diplomatic solution to the conflict and urging de-escalation.

France is also attempting to mediate tensions in Lebanon, where clashes between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah have intensified. Paris, which maintains troops in the UN peacekeeping mission there, has sent humanitarian aid and continues to support the Lebanese military.

The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that 20 people were detained in northwestern Iran after the provincial prosecutor’s office accused them of transmitting location details of military and security facilities to Israel.

Tasnim also reported the arrest of 10 individuals in northeastern Iran, a region that has so far remained largely untouched by the ongoing air strikes. According to the report, some of those detained were suspected of gathering information about sensitive sites and economic infrastructure.

Iran’s security agencies have intensified internal surveillance and arrests since Israeli and U.S. forces launched a series of strikes against targets in the country. Authorities have repeatedly warned of espionage networks operating inside Iran and accused Israel of attempting to exploit domestic unrest.

A provincial branch of the intelligence organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Israel and the United States were attempting to activate “mercenaries and spies” to trigger unrest alongside military operations, according to Tasnim.

Separately, the Student News Network reported that three people were detained in the western province of Lorestan on accusations of attempting to “disturb public opinion” and burn mourning symbols.

A source briefed on Israel’s military strategy told Reuters earlier this week that Israeli forces had begun targeting security checkpoints based on tip-offs from informants inside Iran, marking what the source described as a new phase in the military campaign.

In January, weeks before the United States and Israel launched the current war against Iran, the country experienced widespread anti-government protests. Iranian authorities responded with a crackdown that officials described as necessary to restore order, while blaming Israel and the United States for encouraging what they called violent riots aimed at overthrowing the clerical establishment.

The latest arrests underscore Iran’s growing focus on internal security as the conflict widens and authorities seek to curb suspected intelligence leaks and dissent during the ongoing military confrontation.

Speaking to state television while marching among demonstrators supporting the Palestinian cause, Larijani said the attacks reflected fear rather than strength.

“These attacks are out of fear, out of desperation. One who is strong wouldn’t bomb demonstrations at all. It’s clear that it has failed,” Larijani said.

Larijani’s presence at the rally marked one of the highest-profile appearances by an Iranian official since a Feb. 28 strike that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with other senior officials, according to Iranian authorities.

Footage broadcast by Iranian state television showed large crowds gathering in Tehran for the annual Quds Day event, which is held each year to express support for Palestinians.

Also present at the rally was Ahmad-Reza Radan, Iran’s national police chief, according to images aired by state media.

Iranian media reported that a woman was killed after a U.S.-Israeli airstrike struck the vicinity of the demonstration on Friday.

The strike occurred near the location of the rally in the Iranian capital, although further details about the circumstances were not immediately available.

The demonstration took place amid ongoing hostilities involving Iran, Israel and the United States, with repeated air strikes and missile attacks reported across the region.

Public events such as the Quds Day march have historically been used by Iranian officials to express political positions on regional conflicts, particularly the Palestinian issue.

The latest attacks followed one of the heaviest rounds of strikes on Tuesday, with combatants targeting sites in Israel, Lebanon and parts of the Gulf, according to reports from the region.

Missile barrages forced millions of Israelis to seek shelter as air defense systems responded to incoming attacks.

Military exchanges intensified overnight into Wednesday as opposing forces carried out additional strikes across regional targets. The conflict, which pits the United States and Israel against Iran and its allied networks, has increasingly spread beyond initial fronts, drawing in locations across the eastern Mediterranean and Gulf region.

Iran’s leadership signaled growing concern about domestic unrest as the war continues. State authorities warned that security forces were prepared to confront any attempts to revive anti-government protests while the country faces external military pressure.

The conflict has effectively blocked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime corridor through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s fossil fuel supplies normally transit. The disruption raised immediate concerns over global energy security and triggered a sharp spike in oil prices earlier this week.

Crude markets surged on Monday before retreating as traders assessed the likelihood of diplomatic intervention. Investors have increasingly speculated that U.S. President Donald Trump may push for steps to de-escalate the conflict.

In a move aimed at calming volatile energy markets, the International Energy Agency has proposed the largest coordinated release of oil reserves in its history, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal citing officials familiar with the plan. Reuters was not immediately able to independently verify the report.

The proposed release would add additional supply to global markets at a time when energy flows from the Gulf have been disrupted, easing pressure on prices and helping stabilize financial markets that reacted sharply to the outbreak of hostilities earlier in the week.

The warning came from the office of U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, which said damage to energy and water infrastructure could intensify humanitarian risks as hostilities continue.

Speaking at a press briefing, U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the organization was increasingly alarmed by reports of attacks targeting oil infrastructure.

“We continue to raise the alarm over the humanitarian impact of escalating violence across parts of the Middle East, which is driving rising civilian casualties, damage to civilian infrastructure and growing displacement of people,” Dujarric said.

He added that strikes on oil facilities could have “serious environmental consequences” across the region, with potential immediate effects on air quality, access to safe drinking water and food supplies.

The concerns come after Ministry of Interior Bahrain reported on Sunday that an Iranian drone attack damaged a water desalination plant in Bahrain.

Desalination plants are critical infrastructure for Gulf states, supplying much of the region’s drinking water and supporting economic activity in countries with limited freshwater resources.

Dujarric said the United Nations was urging all parties involved in the conflict to take precautions to protect civilians and essential infrastructure.

“We reiterate again that all possible precautions must be taken to protect civilians from the impact of hostilities and to avoid damage to health facilities, schools, water systems and other essential infrastructure,” Dujarric said.

The warning follows a series of recent attacks on energy installations linked to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. Several oil facilities in Iran were targeted by Israeli strikes on Sunday, while Iran has also launched attacks on oil facilities elsewhere in the region.

The attacks came after U.S. and Israeli military operations targeting Iranian assets, part of a widening confrontation that has pushed the region into its most volatile security environment in years.Regional escalationMilitary activity has expanded beyond direct strikes between Iran and Israel, with missile alerts and military deployments reported across several countries in the Gulf region.Officials have warned that the continued exchange of attacks risks spreading instability across neighbouring states and key strategic waterways.Diplomatic pressure growsGovernments and international institutions have called for restraint as the conflict threatens to disrupt global trade routes and energy markets.Diplomatic channels remain active, but military operations have continued across multiple fronts as each side signals readiness for further escalation.