FILE PHOTO: French Secretary of State for European Affairs Amelie de Montchalin attends a news conference on immigration at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, France, November 6, 2019. REUTERS/Charles Platiau

PARIS (Reuters) - France’s priority is to stabilize the Middle East, French Junior Foreign Affairs Minister Amelie de Montchalin said on Friday after a U.S. air strike killed Iran’s Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani.

“What is happening is what we feared: tensions between the United States and Iran are increasing,” Montchalin told RTL radio. “The priority is to stabilize the region.”

The minister said top French officials would make high-level contacts with senior players in the region.