France's foreign minister criticizes Iran's ceasefire violation, blames it for new U.S. strikes

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has accused Iran of violating a ceasefire agreement, stating that this breach prompted a new round of U.S. airstrikes. The comments come amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran following recent maritime incidents.

U.S. Central Command announced on Wednesday that it had struck roughly 90 Iranian military targets aimed at maintaining the free flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. In retaliation, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared it had launched attacks on U.S. military bases located in Bahrain and Kuwait.

Barrot, speaking in an interview with TF1 television on Thursday, asserted that Iran's attack on vessels navigating Omani waters violated the ceasefire agreement reached with the U.S. last month. He also stated that these actions contravened international law. Oman is situated on the opposite side of the Strait of Hormuz from Iran.

The French minister urged both the United States and Iran to exercise restraint, emphasizing the need for such attacks to cease immediately to allow crucial negotiations to continue under optimal conditions. The recent conflict between the U.S. and Iran originated from Iran's attacks on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. President Trump stated on Wednesday that the U.S.-Iran ceasefire had ended, though he did not entirely rule out the possibility of negotiations.

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Iran's attack on vessels navigating Omani waters violated the ceasefire agreement reached with the U.S. last month, and also contravened international law.