French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that a diplomatic solution is “more necessary than ever” to put an end to the Middle East escalation and preserve peace.

Macron said he spoke by phone with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

“I stressed the need for Iran to immediately cease its strikes against countries in the region. Iran must also guarantee freedom of navigation by ending the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” the French President said. 

“I reiterated our deep concern regarding the development of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and all of its destabilizing activities in the region, which are at the root of the current crisis. A diplomatic solution is more necessary than ever to address these crucial challenges, end the escalation and preserve peace. We agreed to stay in touch,” Macron added in a post on X.

The U.S. and Israel launched what they described as a pre-emptive strike against Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran was developing a nuclear weapon and posing a threat—an allegation Iran has denied. In response, Iran launched counterattacks, firing missiles and drones at Israel, as well as at U.S. assets and other targets across the Middle East.