A photo has been released of Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion, the first French and European soldier killed during the current regional war involving Iran.
Frion was killed during a drone strike on a French military training base near Erbil in northern Iraq, where French forces are deployed as part of an international mission supporting Iraqi forces in counter-terrorism operations. The attack also injured several other French soldiers stationed at the base.
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the death, stating that Frion “died for France” and condemning the attack as unacceptable. Macron emphasized that French forces in Iraq are deployed strictly within the framework of counter-terrorism operations against ISIS, and said the wider war with Iran does not justify attacks on French troops.
Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion served in the 7th Battalion of Chasseurs Alpins, a French mountain infantry unit based in Varces, France. His death marks the first confirmed French military fatality linked to the escalating Middle East conflict.
The drone strike occurred amid a series of attacks by Iran-aligned militias targeting coalition bases in Iraq, reflecting the widening regional impact of the war.
