French President Emmanuel Macron has urged both Iran and Israel to halt all attacks targeting civilians, emphasizing that military intervention and regime change in Tehran would be a grave mistake.

Speaking at a G7 summit in Canada on Monday, Macron expressed cautious optimism about U.S. efforts to de-escalate the crisis. “If the United States can achieve a ceasefire, that’s a very good thing,” he told reporters, shortly before the White House announced President Donald Trump would be departing the summit early due to rising tensions in the Middle East.

Macron was firm in his warning against toppling Iran’s government, calling such a move a “strategic error.” He criticized the idea that foreign intervention could bring lasting stability to the region.

“All who have thought that by bombing from the outside you can save a country in spite of itself have always been mistaken,” Macron stated, referencing past military campaigns that failed to produce desired outcomes.

His remarks come amid intensifying violence, with both Iran and Israel engaging in strikes that have reportedly caused civilian casualties. Macron called on both sides to “end” these attacks and pursue diplomatic solutions.