France does not see military intervention as an option in Iran, Armed Forces Minister Alice Rufo said Sunday, arguing that while Paris should “support the Iranian people in every possible way,” it is “not our job to choose their leader.”
Speaking on the political program Le Grand Jury, Rufo warned that documenting abuses has become “extremely difficult” amid a sweeping internet blackout imposed since January 8, as nationwide protests over economic hardship have expanded into calls to end the clerical system. Human-rights groups have recorded several thousand deaths, with Norway-based Iran Human Rights estimating the toll could surpass 25,000, while Tehran puts the figure at 3,117.
“The Iranian people have rejected their regime,” Rufo said, reiterating that Iran’s future must be decided by Iranians themselves. Her comments came as U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened strikes on Iran over the crackdown, though he has appeared to soften that stance after Tehran said planned executions were being paused. Protests that began in Tehran on December 28 have since spread widely across the country.