"I have ordered the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, its air assets, and its escort of frigates to set course for the Mediterranean," he said in a televised speech a day after he warned of the risk of the conflict spilling over Europe's borders.

Macron said he was also sending air defence capacities to Cyprus a day after Iranian-made drones hit the Mediterranean island's British air base at Akrotiri.

"I have also decided to send additional air defence assets and a French frigate, the Languedoc, which will arrive off the coast of Cyprus this evening," he said.

The United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on Saturday, killing supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has responded by targeting US allies across the Middle East.

"The United States of America and Israel decided to launch military operations, conducted outside international law, which we cannot approve of," said Macron.

But "the Islamic republic of Iran bears primary responsibility for this situation", he said, because of its "dangerous" nuclear programme, support for regional proxies, and orders to shoot "its own people" during protests in January.

Macron said French forces downed drones "in self-defence" during the opening hours of the conflict.

"We reacted immediately and shot down drones in self-defence in the early hours of the conflict to defend the airspace of our allies, who know they can count on us," he said, referring to defence agreements with Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.