"Minister for Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot called for de-escalation in the Middle East on Monday and said Paris 'stands ready' to defend its regional partners after a French naval base in the UAE was hit by an Iranian drone strike. "Yesterday, a hangar at our naval base in the Emirates was hit in a drone attack that targeted the port of Abu Dhabi, fortunately causing only limited material damage," Barrot said. "To the friendly countries that were deliberately targeted by missiles and drones <...> France expresses its full support and complete solidarity. It stands ready, in accordance with the agreements binding it to its partners <...> to participate in their defence," he added. Addressing the escalation in Lebanon, Barrot warned Hezbollah it had "made a grave mistake for which the population paid the price." "By joining a conflict into which both the authorities and the Lebanese people refuse to be drawn. It must immediately put an end to these operations. Lebanon must be preserved from regional conflagration," he added. It comes after the United States and Israel launched a joint strike on Saturday, with US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to 'destroy Iran's missiles.' In response, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said that 'widespread missile and drone attacks' against Israel were underway. US bases were also reportedly targeted in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Iraq and Kuwait."