Jade, 19 (left), Fiona, 18 (center) and Farah, 18, students in Paris, in front of the building housing the French consulate, March 5, 2026. PHILÉMON BARBIER/HORS FORMAT FOR LE MONDE
Ten days after the start of US and Israeli strikes in Iran, the evacuation of French nationals stranded in the Middle East has accelerated. After chartering several emergency flights, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has negotiated with Gulf airlines to secure a set number of seats at fixed prices to repatriate travelers from the conflict zone as quickly as possible.
On Monday, March 9, the Quai d'Orsay [French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs] counted 42,500 people registered with Fil d'Ariane, a system that allows travelers to be located and to receive alerts. Of these, 7,500 have officially requested help to return.
The vast majority are travelers who had been vacationing in the region or who were on a stopover when the military operation launched by Israel and the US against Iran began. With airports closing and a large number of flights canceled due to risks linked to ongoing military operations, organizing their return has become a real logistical headache for the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
