France, March 2 -- The weekend strikes carried out jointly by the US and Israel against Iran and Tehran's subsequent retaliation have disrupted air travel over much of the region, leaving tens of thousands of French citizens and - residents and visitors alike - unable to depart.

French Foreign Minister Jean‑Noel Barrot has declared their safety his "absolute priority", mobilising embassies, consulates and a 24/7 crisis hotline that has already fielded nearly 5,000 calls.

The Middle East is home, temporary or permanently, to a substantial amount of French expatriates. Official crisis tallies from the Quai d'Orsay, cited in recent press briefings, put the number of French nationals (residents or passing through) in the dozen directl...