Macron calls for ending raids on civilian infrastructure in West Asia

As the conflict in West Asia deepens into a dangerous contest over energy and survival, French President Emmanuel Macron has issued a fervent appeal to halt strikes on civilian infrastructure, warning that the war is edging toward a perilous tipping point.

In a message on X, Macron revealed he had spoken with US President Donald Trump and Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani after fresh attacks struck gas production facilities in both Iran and Qatar. Calling for restraint, he urged an immediate moratorium on targeting essential lifelines — particularly energy and water facilities — stressing that the protection of civilian populations and global energy security must outweigh the impulses of escalation.

“It is in our common interest,” Macron said, “to protect civilian populations, their essential needs, and the security of energy supplies.”

His words come against the backdrop of a region ablaze. Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City — the beating heart of the world’s LNG supply — was rocked by missile strikes, igniting fires and inflicting heavy damage. Almost in tandem, Iran’s vast South Pars gas field in Bushehr province — a cornerstone of its energy economy — came under aerial assault, with Israeli media suggesting coordination with Washington.

The strikes have set off a chain reaction of warnings and reprisals. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps signalled possible retaliation against oil and gas facilities across the Gulf, casting a long shadow over Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. In Tehran, anger has hardened into defiance.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned the attacks as reckless provocations, warning they could spiral into uncontrollable consequences with global ramifications. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf struck an even sharper tone, declaring that an “eye for an eye” now governs the conflict — a stark signal that a more dangerous phase has begun.

State media in Iran confirmed that key facilities linked to the offshore South Pars field had been hit, while Israeli outlets, citing unnamed sources, pointed to their air force as the force behind the strike.

The current spiral traces back to the joint US-Israeli offensive on 28 February, a moment that shattered an already fragile equilibrium. The strikes on Tehran and other cities triggered a fierce Iranian response — waves of missiles and drones targeting Israel and US-linked assets across the region — drawing the Middle East into a widening arc of confrontation.

In this volatile landscape, where pipelines and power plants have become both targets and symbols, Macron’s plea stands as a call for sanity — a reminder that beyond the theatre of war lies a world increasingly vulnerable to its consequences.

With IANS inputs