French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday attributed part of the widespread unrest across France to the economic fallout from the U.S.-led war against Iran, saying demonstrators are concerned about the cost of living and fuel prices driven by a conflict France has not joined but whose consequences it is suffering.
In a televised address, Macron said demonstrators had expressed concern about the cost of living and the price of fuel, adding that both are driven by the conflict launched in the Persian Gulf. He said he fully understands their concern and noted it is being expressed in several other European capitals as well. Macron said he has taken several initiatives at the international level to secure France's fuel and gas supplies and to act on energy markets, and announced he would travel to the Gulf on a three-nation stop to discuss the energy crisis.
The remarks drew sharp criticism from U.S. officials and regional experts. President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that he had warned Macron early in their relationship to close France's borders, saying the country had been ruined and would find it hard to recover. Vice President JD Vance, in a social media post, criticized France's immigration policy, writing that Western liberals had imported the third world into France and other countries in the name of diversity and compassion while ignoring questions of assimilation and compatibility.
Lisa Daftari, an Iran expert, told Fox News Digital that Macron is pointing at the Iran war, but fuel is expensive because Iran's regime closed the Strait of Hormuz and held the world's energy supply hostage. She said the bigger question is whether the unrest is really about students and fuel prices at all, noting that major infrastructure and landmarks have been set on fire, shops were looted across the country and nearly 2,400 people were arrested in a single day. Daftari described the situation as organized lawlessness rather than a protest over diesel prices, and said Macron's own government has blamed ultra-left groups and criminals.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu accused the ultra-left movement of orchestrating profound disorder in the country leading up to the presidential election. Macron stressed that those who have tried to bring down the republic will be held accountable. Barak Seener, an associate research fellow at the London-based Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital that Macron is reframing reality to suit his political agenda by focusing on the Iran war and oil prices rather than the Red-Green alliance that he said has contributed to the riots, including radical left and Muslim organizations and student groups.
The unrest has spread across France, with reports of arson at major infrastructure and landmarks and looting in shops nationwide. The scale of the arrests and damage has prompted comparisons to earlier episodes of civil unrest and raised questions about the government's ability to restore order ahead of the presidential election. Macron's address sought to acknowledge public anxiety over energy costs while defending his international efforts to stabilize supply, but critics argue the focus on geopolitics obscures deeper domestic problems.
The Élysée press office did not respond to a request for comment by time of publication. The French foreign ministry referred questions to Macron's televised address and the Élysée press office. The debate over the causes of the unrest is likely to intensify as Macron travels to the Gulf and as French authorities continue to confront the violence at home.