Iran has accused France of being a destabilising force in the region after its foreign minister threatened new sanctions against Tehran over its missile programme.

"The Islamic republic has always called for the strengthening of peace and stability in the region," the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement released overnight Friday.

France's "yellow vests" took to the streets on Saturday for a 10th straight weekend of anti-government protests, defying attempts by President Emmanuel Macron to channel their anger into a series of town hall debates.

The French government has activated its plans for handling the effects of a no-deal Brexit, which has become "less and less unlikely", Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Thursday.

French leader Emmanuel Macron faced growing pressure Monday to find a way out of the deepest crisis of his presidency after protests over taxes sparked Paris's worst rioting in decades.

Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters trying to tear down barricades on the Champs-Elysees in Paris early Saturday as hundreds converged on the city for new demonstrations, with anger over fuel taxes morphing into a wide-ranging anti-government movement.

French President Emmanuel Macron sought to take the heat out of mass anti-government protests over taxes on Tuesday, saying he had heard the anger but would not change course.

Frank Buhler, a leader of the protesters who have barricaded French highways over the past week, aims to color Paris in the movement's trademark yellow on Saturday when rural France takes its fight with President Emmanuel Macron to the capital.

The 53-year-old political activist has called on demonstrators to swarm Paris "on foot, horseback or by car" for the second round Saturday of a battle between centrist President Emmanuel Macron and rebels from the provinces.

The French government on Wednesday attempted to head off planned protests over rising fuel costs by announcing a series of measures to help poorer families pay their bills.

A surge in the price of diesel has provoked an uproar in rural and small-town France, with citizens' groups threatening to block roads and highways on Saturday over what they call President Emmanuel Macron's anti-car policies.

French President Emmanuel Macron reshuffled his government on Tuesday after two weeks of fevered speculation about the changes, which will see former Socialist MP Christophe Castaner take up the key position of interior minister.

When the quiet French town of Forges-les-Bains was chosen to host a centre for young male asylum seekers in 2016, there was uproar.