France to increase nuclear warheads as part of shared plan to protect Europe

France's President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech next to nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) submarine "Le Temeraire" - S617 during his visit to the Nuclear Submarine Navy Base of Ile Longue in Crozon, north-western France on March 2, 2026. High expectations, few certainties: on March 2, 2026, Emmanuel Macron is set to outline how France's nuclear deterrent can help strengthen security in Europe in the face of a increasingly brutal world and an increasingly uncertain US ally. This issue has been brought sharply into focus by the Israeli-US offensive in Iran this weekend, against the backdrop of the Iranian nuclear crisis, which is shaking the entire Middle East and, by extension, the international community. AFP - YOAN VALAT

President Emmanuel Macron says France would increase the number of its nuclear warheads and cooperate with eight European countries to help protect the continent as key NATO ally Washington turns away.

Macron warned Monday that a widening war between the United States, Israel, and Iran risks spilling over to Europe's borders, as he unveiled a new strategy for France's nuclear deterrence.