French President Emmanuel Macron has dismissed “inelegant” personal mocks from Donald Trump regarding a 2025 viral video of his wife, while simultaneously rejecting the U.S. President’s “unrealistic” demand for NATO allies to join the escalating war against Iran.
French President Emmanuel Macron has delivered a sharp rebuke to U.S. President Donald Trump, following a series of personal insults and “unrealistic” military demands centered on the ongoing conflict in Iran. Speaking from a state visit in Seoul, South Korea, on Thursday, April 2, 2026, Macron addressed Trump’s televised mockery of a 2025 viral video involving Brigitte Macron, describing the U.S. President’s rhetoric as “not elegant, nor up to standard.” Trump had previously taunted the French leader during a prime-time address, claiming the First Lady had treated Macron “extremely badly” and that he was “still recovering from the right to the jaw.” Macron dismissed the comments as unworthy of a formal response, insisting that the international community must instead focus on “de-escalation, a ceasefire, and the resumption of negotiations.
The personal friction underscores a deepening strategic divide within NATO, as President Trump considers withdrawing American membership after labeling the alliance a “paper tiger.” During his Wednesday night address, Trump urged allies to “take the lead” in reopening the Strait of Hormuz—a vital oil conduit closed by Iran—and told them to “build up some delayed courage.” Macron categorically rejected the request, noting that the U.S. and Israel initiated the war on February 28 without consulting their partners. “They then complain that they are not being helped in an operation they decided on alone,” Macron stated, adding that the call for allied military action in the waterway was “unrealistic” and explicitly declaring: “It is not our operation.”
Beyond the immediate naval standoff, Macron warned that military force would fail to achieve long-term security regarding Tehran’s nuclear program. He argued that the current campaign, which Trump claims is “very close” to an end, would only lead to further deterioration without a diplomatic framework. “Targeted military action, even for a few weeks, will not allow us to resolve the nuclear issue in the long term,” Macron said, emphasizing that the gravity of the situation—involving the deaths of soldiers and civilians—demands professional diplomacy over contradictory rhetoric. As the U.S. President continues to push for a decisive “knock out” of Iranian capabilities, France remains steadfast in its position that only “in-depth negotiations” can provide a lasting resolution.
READ THE FULL STORY IN THE TELEGRAPH