A rescue mission to evacuate French citizens from the United Arab Emirates encountered dangerous conditions Thursday when the chartered aircraft had to reverse course due to missile activity in the area, according to French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot.
The Air France plane, commissioned by the French government to retrieve nationals from the UAE, abandoned its mission after coming under threat from missile fire, Tabarot announced on the social media platform X.
“This situation reflects the instability in the region and the complexity of repatriation operations,” Tabarot added.
The evacuation effort began Wednesday as part of France’s emergency response to extract citizens from the Middle East region. Multiple nations are currently working to rescue thousands of their people who remain trapped as tensions escalate between the United States and Israel against Iran.
