Editors focused the morning on the aftermath of Mojtaba Khamenei’s designation as Supreme Leader and the immediate Iranian response: a series of missile and drone strikes targeting Gulf states, specifically Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. This triggered historic surges in oil and gas prices, dominating the early headlines of Le Monde and 20 Minutes. Early afternoon saw editorial attention shift to Emmanuel Macron’s diplomatic and military response. Arriving in Cyprus before boarding the Charles de Gaulle in the Mediterranean, Macron announced an "unprecedented" French naval deployment of eight frigates and the aircraft carrier to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while insisting France remains a non-combatant. Domestically, editors briefly noted the judicial rejection of Nicolas Sarkozy’s request to merge his prison sentences. The evening was defined by Donald Trump’s evolving rhetoric, as he declared the conflict "almost over" and threatened to destroy Iran if oil supplies remained blocked, while Israel launched fresh "large-scale" strikes on Tehran.
