A French general has told US officials in Donald Trump’s administration to “stop snorting cocaine between meetings” in a brutal attack on Washington’s war in Iran. The US President floated the notion of building a runway intended for transporting uranium while the nation continues to bombard the Middle East.

French General Michel Yakovleff hit back, stating, “American officials should stop snorting cocaine between meetings” in a rebuke of the White House’s proposal. Mr Yakovleff previously likened joining the President’s unilateral war in Iran to “buying cheap tickets for the Titanic after it hit the iceberg”.

This follows just days after Emmanuel Macron publicly condemned the US in response to Trump’s criticism of France, doubling down on his country’s refusal to assist Washington in securing the Strait of Hormuz.

He said: “I am not the commentator on an operation that the Americans decided on with the Israelis alone. They can later regret not being supported in an operation they decided on by themselves. This is not our operation.”

The French President reinforced his position that peace with Tehran could only be achieved through diplomatic means rather than military force.

Only under those circumstances, he continued, would Iran permit safe passage through the vital shipping route.

Iranian naval vessels have targeted any foreign tanker trying to navigate through the Strait, triggering a severe energy crisis that has sent oil prices soaring since late February.