On April 15, 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on the BFMTV network that French forces, utilizing Rafale jets, had neutralized Iranian drones overflying Jordan and Iraq, thus contributing to Israel’s defense. He confirmed that the French aircraft had taken off at the request of Jordan to intercept the Iranian drones, though he did not provide further details on the number of devices intercepted.
During the night of April 13-14, 2024, Israel was subjected to a significant attack by Iran, involving at least 300 missiles and drones. This offensive followed an Israeli Air Force strike on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus on April 1, 2024. In response, Israeli air defenses, supported by Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow systems, as well as F-35I, F-15, and F-16 fighter jets and direct support from American and British forces, successfully intercepted 99% of the Iranian projectiles.
Before reaching Israel, these missiles passed through Jordanian airspace, which had warned it would shoot down any object violating its territory. While Jordan did indeed shoot down several Iranian drones, French forces stationed there also participated in neutralizing these threats. Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari confirmed that French forces had assisted in countering the attack, following six months of close collaboration with their American, British, and other counterparts.