France Stayed Out Of Strikes Against Houthis To Avoid "Escalation": Macron

France stayed out of a Britain-US coalition that carried out air strikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels who have attacked shipping in the Red Sea as Paris feared an escalation, President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday.

"France has decided not to join a coalition that has carried out pre-emptive strikes against the Houthis on their soil. Why? Precisely because we have a position that seeks to avoid any escalation," Macron told reporters, emphasising that the subject was not "military" but "diplomatic".

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