France: Le Pen says U.S. made ‘mistake’ attacking Iran amid regional escalation

Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally (RN), said on Wednesday that the U.S. had “clearly made a mistake” in launching strikes on Iran, arguing Washington misjudged the resilience of the Iranian regime.

“What I see is that the United States clearly made a mistake, thinking the Iranian regime would fall within a few days. It has not fallen. The Iranian regime is extremely strong,” she told France Inter radio.

Le Pen criticised U.S. President Donald Trump’s war aims as “erratic”, questioning the overall objective of the campaign and adding that “no one knows” what he seeks to achieve.

She warned the conflict has destabilised parts of the Gulf and disrupted global energy supplies, creating wider economic uncertainty.

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The RN leader also reiterated her support for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, describing him as a “symbol of resistance” to the European Commission, while insisting her engagement in Hungary was limited to backing political allies during elections.

Her remarks come amid heightened regional tensions following a joint U.S.-Israeli offensive against Iran launched on 28 February. The escalation has reportedly killed more than 1,300 people, including Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

Iran has responded with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as countries hosting U.S. military assets, including Jordan, Iraq and several Gulf states, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting aviation and global markets.

Separately, Le Pen’s RN recently underperformed in France’s municipal elections, failing to secure control of major cities - an outcome seen as a setback ahead of future national contests.

Le Pen is awaiting a ruling in her appeal against an embezzlement conviction, which could affect her eligibility to run in future elections.

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