The French army denies several incorrect information about its involvement in the Middle East.

The French armed forces headquarters embarked on Saturday on a clarification operation aimed at debunking several incorrect pieces of information circulating about France’s military engagement in the Middle East. Faced with the proliferation of rumors and manipulated content, the armed forces headquarters sought to set the record straight on its naval and ground deployments, as well as its strategic posture.

The aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle remains in the Mediterranean

The army formally denied any movement of the naval aviation group (GAN) towards the Strait of Hormuz. The French Army stated that the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is currently deployed in the Mediterranean to participate in preserving freedom of navigation. “There is no question of it moving towards the Strait of Hormuz,” stated the spokesperson for the chief of the armed forces headquarters.

The spokesperson specifically denounced the viral dissemination of images showing the French vessel on fire or being hit by Iranian missiles. “These images are fake and have been entirely generated by artificial intelligence,” emphasized the spokesperson, warning against these attempts at informational destabilization.

A strictly defensive posture

Operationally, Paris asserts that its forces are not engaged in an offensive dynamic against Iran alongside the United States. France adopts a defensive posture articulated around two axes: – Protection of facilities: Deployment of ground-based air defense assets to secure the bases where French military personnel are housed. – Support for partners: Interception of drones or missiles threatening the airspace of allies or French interests, in accordance with current defense agreements.

Clarifications on presence in Iraq

The headquarters also aimed to correct a persistent chronological error on social media. While some messages suggest a recent deployment, the army reminds that French forces have been present in Iraq since 2014-2015 as part of the multinational operation Inherent Resolve. These detachments, located notably in Baghdad and Erbil, remain focused on their initial mission: support for Iraqi forces and the fight against the resurgence of the Islamic State organization (Daesh).

Information warfare

The headquarters emphasizes that this narrative aims to legitimize possible hostile actions against France or compel actors to align with its position. Paris reaffirms that it is acting solely in responsibility to honor its defense agreements. Faced with the complexity of the conflict, the army calls for avoiding adding the confusion of misinformation to the current tensions.