France condemns Iran protest crackdown, weighs satellite internet aid amid blackout

EXCLUSIVE: France’s ambassador to the United Nations said Paris has powerfully condemned Iran’s convulsive crackdown connected nationwide protests, arsenic the French authorities weighs imaginable outer communications enactment to assistance Iranians circumvent a near-total net blackout.

In an exclusive interrogation with Fox News Digital, Jerome Bonnafont described what helium said was an escalation successful repression by Iranian authorities and outlined France’s response, including sanctions and diplomatic pressure.

"We person condemned very, precise strongly, astatine the highest level, the repression against the fashionable question successful Iran," Bonnafont said. "This clip it seems to maine that the repression is adjacent much convulsive than it utilized to be," helium added.

IRANIAN DISSIDENT UNLOADS ON AMERICAN LEFT'S SILENCE ON DEADLY PROTESTS

French Ambassador to the UN Jérôme Bonnafont (2L) and French President Emmanuel Macron (C) get for a United Nations Summit connected Palestinians astatine U.N. office during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) successful New York connected Sept. 22, 2025.  ( Ludovic MARIN / AFP via Getty Images)

His remarks travel arsenic France’s overseas curate confirmed Paris is studying the imaginable transportation of outer terminals operated by Eutelsat to Iran, pursuing a sweeping net shutdown imposed by Iranian authorities during the unrest, and arsenic the G-7 issued a associated connection condemning Iran’s convulsive crackdown connected nationwide protests. 

The overseas ministers of France, the United States and different G-7 nations warned they were prepared to enforce further restrictive measures if Iran continues to interruption planetary quality rights obligations.

Iranians be an anti-government protestation successful Tehran, Iran, connected Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

Earlier Tuesday, Israel’s overseas minister, Gideon Saar, urged France to enactment designating Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps arsenic a violent enactment astatine the EU level during a telephone with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.

Asked whether France would backmost specified a move, Bonnafont did not code the IRGC designation directly, alternatively emphasizing existing sanctions and planetary pressure.

"There are sanctions against the constabulary of the regime. And determination are sanctions besides against respective individuals, much than 200 radical successful Iran for these reasons," helium said.

"What we person to bash is to condemn and to code the close connection to the radical successful Iran and to the regime, truthful that the authorities stops with this monolithic repression."

IRAN'S KHAMENEI ISSUES DIRECT WARNING TO UNITED STATES IN RUSSIAN-LANGUAGE POSTS

NATO leaders airs successful this changeable taken successful June. (Claudia Greco/Reuters)

NATO and Europe’s defence responsibility

Bonnafont besides addressed repeated calls from President Donald Trump for European allies to enarthrosis much of NATO’s defence burden, arguing that Europe is already moving successful that direction.

"There is simply a volition by the Europeans to instrumentality the afloat work of the extortion of its ain continent," helium said.

He stressed that the attack reflects a long-standing French position. "It is simply a precise aged taxable for the French governments that determination has to beryllium wrong NATO an autonomous, self-capable entity for European defense," Bonnafont said, referring to France’s long-standing advocacy for European strategical autonomy, a presumption repeatedly emphasized by President Emmanuel Macron.

TRUMP ISSUES STERN WARNING TO NATO AHEAD OF VANCE'S HIGH-STAKES GREENLAND MEETING

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and France's President Emmanuel Macron clasp a gathering during a acme astatine Lancaster House successful cardinal London, Britain March 2, 2025. (JUSTIN TALLIS/Pool via REUTERS)

Ukraine arsenic a trial case

Bonnafont pointed to Europe’s effect to Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine arsenic grounds that European governments are prepared to enactment collectively erstwhile halfway information interests are threatened.

"Ukraine has been attacked by Russia 4 years ago. Now it has been invaded by Russia, and it has decided to defy and to combat for its independence, its territorial integrity, its sovereignty," helium said.

He described European backing for Kyiv arsenic some unified and extensive. "And Europeans are going successful enactment of Ukraine. And what we are doing successful presumption of fiscal enactment is massive. What we are doing successful presumption of governmental enactment is unanimous," Bonnafont said.

According to the ambassador, France and the United Kingdom are moving to signifier what helium described arsenic a "coalition of volunteers" to supply Ukraine with semipermanent information guarantees erstwhile negotiations with Russia go possible.

"When Ukraine enters into treatment with Russia, and erstwhile Russia accepts to participate into treatment with Ukraine, and erstwhile the elements of a peace, sustainable peace, are enactment connected paper, Ukraine tin person information guarantees," helium said.

Bonnafont besides pointed to France’s home fund decisions arsenic grounds that Europe is backing rhetoric with resources. "There is presently the dialog of the adjacent fund for France for 2026," helium said. "It includes a beardown summation successful our defence budget, and it is the lone fund that is going to beryllium accrued successful our full fund this year."

TRUMP ADMIN EXIT FROM UN, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS RAISES QUESTION OF WHO’S NEXT

Members of the UN Security Council be a gathering connected threats to planetary bid and information astatine the United Nations Headquarters connected June 13, 2025 successful New York City.  (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

UN betterment and fund cuts

Beyond NATO and Europe’s defence posture, Bonnafont said France is pushing for organization betterment astatine the United Nations, wherever subordinate states precocious approved important fund reductions. "The instauration has to reform. It ever has to reform," helium said.

"We decided by statement with the American authorities and each the others a fund which presents a simplification of 20% of manpower and a simplification of 15% of the funds allocated to the U.N.," Bonnafont added. "Give maine different illustration of a nationalist operation that is susceptible of specified an effort successful specified a abbreviated time," helium said.

Despite the cuts, helium defended the U.N.’s relevance. "Yes, we are superior astir reform. Yes, we privation it to beryllium streamlined," Bonnafont said. "But yes, we request the U.N. for the world."

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

A Palestinian lad walks adjacent an UNRWA schoolhouse sheltering displaced radical that was deed successful an an overnight Israeli strike, successful Gaza City, July 5, 2025. (Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters)

UNRWA quality and U.S. backing cuts

Asked astir the U.S. determination to halt backing for respective U.N. agencies, including UNRWA, Bonnafont defended the agencies, saying, "Organizations are much businesslike erstwhile they are universal," adding that information remains a sovereign determination for the United States.