French Soldier Killed in Iraq: What This Means for European Military Presence in the Middle East

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[Herald Economy=Cha Min-ju] A French service member deployed in the Middle East has been killed, the first such fatality since armed clashes involving the United States, Israel and Iran escalated in the region.

President Emmanuel Macron posted on X (formerly Twitter) in the early hours of March 13 (local time) that one French soldier taking part in counterterrorism operations in Iraq died in an attack in the Erbil area.

Macron said several other service members were wounded and condemned the strike as “unacceptable,” noting the troops have been engaged against the Islamic State (IS) since 2015.

Le Monde reported that a drone strike hit a French base, killing one person and wounding five. Since the Iran-related crisis began on Feb. 28, this is the first recorded death among French and other European forces stationed in the region.

The Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group Ashab al-Kahf posted on Telegram early Wednesday that “from tonight, all French assets in Iraq and the region are targets,” and warned residents to stay at least 500 meters away from French military bases.

The group also criticized France’s decision to deploy the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the eastern Mediterranean. France has positioned the carrier closer to the Middle East to protect its citizens and defend allied interests.

France is in Iraq as part of the U.S.-led international coalition to defeat IS. In Erbil, in Iraq’s northern Kurdistan region, Iraqi forces and the Peshmerga (the Kurdish regional government’s military) conduct joint training with coalition partners.

Although the IS “caliphate” that declared itself a state collapsed in 2019, Western governments assess that IS remains a threat through underground cells, which has kept coalition forces deployed in the country.

In the early hours of March 12, an Italian base in Erbil was also struck by an Iranian-made Shahed drone; authorities reported no casualties.

The Italian government has decided to temporarily withdraw all of its deployed personnel.