The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has conveyed his condolences to the French country after the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, confirmed the death of Arnaud Frion, a French soldier in an attack that the Frenchman describes as “unacceptable”, in northern Iraq, by Iranian forces.
In this regard, Sánchez has spoken out through his social media through a message. "I deeply regret the death of French non-commissioned officer Arnaud Frion in an Iranian regime drone attack in Erbil, Iraq. All our affection and solidarity with his loved ones, his colleagues, and the French people. Europe is a community of values and Spain feels the pain of all France as its own on a day like today," he states.
I deeply regret the death of French non-commissioned officer Arnaud Frion in an attack by the Iranian regime with drones in Erbil, Iraq.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) March 13, 2026
All our affection and solidarity with his loved ones, his comrades, and the French people.
Europe is a community of values and Spain feels like…
The offensive of Iran
Emmanuel Macron, also using his social media, published this morning: “This attack against our forces participating in the fight against Daesh since 2015 is unacceptable. Their presence in Iraq is strictly part of the fight against terrorism. The war in Iran does not justify such attacks”.
Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion of the 7th Alpine Hunters Battalion of Varces died for France during an attack in the Erbil region in Iraq.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) March 13, 2026
To his family, to his brothers in arms, I want to express all the affection and solidarity of the Nation.
Several of our soldiers…
Additionally, the message reported that another six soldiers had been wounded. The military personnel were participating in training activities in the fight against terrorism and according to television, they were at a military base where they were training Kurdish forces from Iraq in the fight against terrorism.
Spain and France united
It is not the first time that both presidents have conveyed support. The French president called the Prime Minister to express France's “European solidarity” in the face of “recent threats” from US president Donald Trump. "The president has just spoken with President Sánchez to express France's European solidarity in response to the recent threats of economic coercion launched yesterday against Spain.”
Pedro Sánchez expressed his position regarding the statements of the President of the United States Donald Trump, in which he described Spain as a "terrible ally" and in which he threatened to cut all commercial ties with our country for not having allowed the use of the US military bases of Rota and Morón in national territory. Thus, the European Commission expressed its “full solidarity” with Spain and highlighted that it will "act if necessary" to protect the interests of the European Union (EU).
