France Urges Iran to Free Human Rights Lawyer
◢ France on Thursday called for Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh to be released and warned Tehran that its adherence to a nuclear accord does not give it a blank cheque on human rights. "We will do all we can to secure the release of Mrs Sotoudeh", French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told the upper chamber Senate.
France on Thursday called for Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh to be released and warned Tehran that its adherence to a nuclear accord does not give it a blank cheque on human rights.
"We will do all we can to secure the release of Mrs Sotoudeh", French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told the upper chamber Senate.
"She was condemned under astonishing conditions," for "defending the rights of women, in particular those who contest the obligation to wear the Islamic veil," he added.
Sotoudeh's husband Reza Khandan told AFP on Sunday that his wife had been sentenced to a total of 33 years in prison over a case with seven charges, but she is to only serve the longest sentence, 12 years imposed on Sunday for "encouraging corruption and debauchery.”
She has also been convicted of espionage.
Sotoudeh has also been sentenced to a total of 148 lashes for appearing in court without the hijab Islamic head covering and for another offence.
According to Khandan, Sotoudeh has refrained from choosing a lawyer as attorneys on her previous cases have faced prosecution for representing her.
"We have been making considerable efforts in recent months to preserve the (Iranian) nuclear accord, despite America's withdrawal," said Le Drian.
"We are doing so because we respect our signature, but Iran must also respect its obligations in particular those international agreements relating to civil and political rights," he added.
Last month the UN atomic watchdog said that Iran has been adhering to its deal with world powers on limiting its nuclear program, as diplomatic wrangling continues over the future of the accord.
The latest report from the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Iran was still complying with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with global powers under which Tehran drastically scaled back its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.
Last week, European nations rejected a call from US Vice President Mike Pence to follow the US lead in withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear deal.
Le Drian said Thursday: "Our wish to preserve the Vienna accord does not grant carte-blanche to Iran and certainly not in the matter of human rights."
Before her arrest, Sotoudeh, 55, had taken on the cases of several women arrested for appearing in public without headscarves in protest at the mandatory dress code in force in Iran.
Sotoudeh won the European Parliament's prestigious Sakharov Prize in 2012 for her work on high-profile cases, including those of convicts on death row for offenses committed as minors.
She spent three years in prison after representing dissidents arrested during mass protests in 2009 against the disputed re-election of ultra-conservative president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Photo Credit: Wikicommons
Iran 'Cannot Avoid' Expanded Talks on Nuclear Issue: France
◢ Iran "cannot avoid" talks on thorny issues like its ballistic missile program and role in Middle East conflicts, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warned Thursday, as European powers work to rescue the beleaguered nuclear deal with Tehran. France, Germany and Britain are leading European efforts to save the landmark 2015 deal to curb Iran's nuclear program, which was thrown into crisis in May when US President Donald Trump withdrew and reimposed sanctions.
Iran "cannot avoid" talks on thorny issues like its ballistic missile program and role in Middle East conflicts, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warned Thursday, as European powers work to rescue the beleaguered nuclear deal with Tehran.
France, Germany and Britain are leading European efforts to save the landmark 2015 deal to curb Iran's nuclear program, which was thrown into crisis in May when US President Donald Trump withdrew and reimposed sanctions.
Critics of the accord—which was also signed by Russia and China—say it is too narrowly focused on the nuclear issue and does nothing to curb Iran's meddling in regional conflicts or its program to develop conventional ballistic missiles.
The European Union is trying to find ways to maintain oil and banking ties with Iran after the second phase of US sanctions kicks in in November, and Le Drian said it was important to find ways to keep the Islamic republic trading.
But he warned that Tehran must keep up its side of the deal, and be prepared to expand talks.
"Iran must respect the fundamentals of the JCPOA (nuclear deal) and I think that is the case," Le Drian said as he arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Vienna.
"But Iran cannot avoid discussions, negotiations on three other major subjects that worry us—the future of Iran's nuclear commitments after 2025, the ballistic question and the fact there is a sort of ballistic proliferation on the part of Iran... and the role Iran plays to stabilize the whole region.
"We must talk about these three subjects, Iran must be aware of this and that's the message I send to them from Vienna."
Despite European pledges to keep providing Iran with the economic benefits it received from the nuclear deal, many major companies have already pulled out of the country for fear of US penalties.
Photo Credit: Wikicommons
France, Germany, Britain Formally Demand Exemptions from US Iran Sanctions
◢ France, Britain, Germany and the EU on Wednesday sent the United States a joint official request for their companies to be exempt from punitive measures resulting from fresh US sanctions on Iran. French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said the three countries and the EU were asking the US "to exempt European businesses doing legitimate trade in Iran from all extraterritorial American sanctions.”
France, Britain, Germany and the EU on Wednesday sent the United States a joint official request for their companies to be exempt from punitive measures resulting from fresh US sanctions on Iran.
"As allies, we expect that the United States will refrain from taking action to harm Europe's security interests," said the letter to US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said the three countries and the EU were asking the US "to exempt European businesses doing legitimate trade in Iran from all extraterritorial American sanctions."
"Those businesses must be able to pursue their activities," he wrote on Twitter.
The plea comes as European leaders scramble to save the hard-fought deal signed between Iran and world powers in 2015 under which Tehran agreed to limits on its nuclear capacities in exchange for relief from crippling economic sanctions.
US President Donald Trump announced he was abandoning the deal last month—which will mean new sanctions on the Islamic republic and punitive measures
for those who trade with it.
Analysts say European firms which have rushed to invest in Iran after the lifting of sanctions over the past three years have the most to lose from the renewed sanctions.
Several major companies including France's Total and the Netherlands' Maersk have already said it will be impossible to stay in Iran once the sanctions are fully reimposed over the next six months, unless they receive explicit exemptions from Washington.
French automaker PSA said Monday that it would pull out of two joint ventures to sell its cars in Iran to avoid the risk of punishing fines.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia
US Policy on Iran Puts Region in 'Further Danger': France
◢ French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Wednesday that the United States risks further destabilizing the Middle East after Washington warned Iran faced the "strongest sanctions in history.” Le Drian warned Wednesday of a "regional explosion" because of the Syrian civil war and the Iranian nuclear crisis.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Wednesday that the United States risks further destabilizing the Middle East after Washington warned Iran faced the "strongest sanctions in history."
"The sanctions to be launched against Iran will not foster dialogue. On the contrary, they will boost the importance and power of Iran's conservatives and weaken president (Hassan) Rouhani, who wanted to negotiate," Le Drian told France Inter radio. "Ultimately, this stance is likely to put the region in further danger than it is today."
On May 8, US President Donald Trump pulled out of the landmark 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which curbs the country's nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.
The decision to withdraw from the accord marked a stark diplomatic defeat for Europe, whose leaders, repeatedly and in person, had called on Trump to think again.
Speaking Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Tehran would be hit with the "strongest sanctions in history" and cautioned European firms against continuing to do business with the Islamic republic.
Le Drian warned Wednesday of a "regional explosion" because of the Syrian civil war and the Iranian nuclear crisis.
Asked if there was a risk of a new conflict, he replied "yes".
He referred to rockets fired from "Iranian arms based in Syria" on May 10 on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which prompted return fire by Israel against Iranian targets inside Syria.
"The conditions are all there so that if by chance something happened, perhaps on purpose, perhaps not, there could be an escalation," he added.
Photo Credit: Wikicommons
France Urges Europe to Act on 'Unacceptable' US Iran Sanctions
◢ France's economy minister Bruno Le Maire urged European nations Friday to defend themselves against US sanctions targeting foreign companies that trade with Iran, as the rift between Washington and its allies deepens. Le Maire said the European Union had to defend its "economic sovereignty" when it comes to the right to trade with Iran.
France's economy minister Bruno Le Maire urged European nations Friday to defend themselves against US sanctions targeting foreign companies that trade with Iran, as the rift between Washington and its allies deepens.
Le Maire said the European Union had to defend its "economic sovereignty" when it comes to the right to trade with Iran.
Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has meanwhile branded the sanctions "unacceptable", in some of the most forceful criticism yet from a key European ally.
US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he was pulling out of the landmark 2015 deal curbing Iran's nuclear program, reintroducing sanctions on the Islamic republic and those who trade with it.
The decision overturned years of painstaking diplomacy and left EU allies scrambling to save the hard-fought deal, as well as to protect the interests of their companies which do business with Iran.
"We have to work among ourselves in Europe to defend our economic sovereignty," Le Maire told Europe 1 radio ahead of talks with Dutch Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra.
Le Maire said the EU would hold "collective discussions with the United States to obtain... different rules" covering European companies that do business with Iran.
"At the end of May I will meet with the British and German finance ministers and the three of us will look at what we can do."
Le Maire said he had called US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Wednesday urging him to allow exceptions for French companies or a delay in implementing the sanctions, while admitting he has "few illusions" about the likely response.
Washington has given European firms doing business in Iran up to six months to wind up investments or risk US sanctions, and they are also forbidden from signing any new contracts with the country.
Return of Sanctions 'Blocking'?
Le Maire pointed to the possibility of reinstating of EU "blocking regulations", dating back to 1996, which were used as a countermeasure against US sanctions that targeted third countries doing business with Cuba.
The system, which was never actually used, permitted European companies to ignore the US sanctions and said that any decisions by foreign courts based on the sanctions would not be upheld in Europe.
"We want to reinforce this regulation and incorporate the recent decisions
taken by the United States," Le Maire said.
"The second avenue is looking at Europe's financial independence—what can we do to give Europe more financial tools allowing it to be independent from the United States?"
Le Maire further noted that the US Treasury has an agency, the Office of Foreign Assets Control, which tracks whether or not foreign companies are respecting its sanctions.
"Why don't we create the same type of agency in Europe, capable of following the activities of foreign companies and checking if they are respecting European decisions?" he said.
Le Drian had on Thursday insisted Washington needed to negotiate with its European allies on any sanctions that might affect their companies.
"We feel that the extraterritoriality of their sanction measures is unacceptable," he told Le Parisien newspaper, vowing that European countries would "do everything to protect the interests of their companies".
"The Europeans should not have to pay for the withdrawal of an agreement by the United States, to which they had themselves contributed."
Photo Credit: IRNA
French FM Slams 'Unacceptable' US Sanctions on Iran
◢ France's foreign minister on Thursday condemned the United States for reimposing sanctions against foreign companies trading with Iran, labeling the move "unacceptable" in comments that expose the deepening rift between Washington and its European allies on the issue.
France's foreign minister on Thursday condemned the United States for reimposing sanctions against foreign companies trading with Iran, labeling the move "unacceptable" in comments that expose the deepening rift between Washington and its European allies on the issue.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump announced he was pulling out of a landmark deal curbing Iran's nuclear program and reintroducing sanctions on the Islamic republic and those who trade with it.
The decision overturned years of painstaking diplomacy and left European allies scrambling to save the hard-fought deal.
Washington has given European firms doing business in Iran up to six months to wind up investments or risk US sanctions and they are also forbidden from signing any new contracts with Iran.
On Thursday France's top diplomat Jean-Yves Le Drian slammed those conditions, saying Washington needed to negotiate with its European allies on any sanctions that might affect their companies.
"We feel that the extraterritoriality of their sanction measures are unacceptable," he told the French daily Le Parisien.
"The Europeans should not have to pay for the withdrawal of an agreement by the United States, to which they had themselves contributed," he said.
Europeans, he added, would "do everything to protect the interests of their companies" and planned to lead "tight negotiations" with Washington via the European Union.
Trump's decision to pull out of the Iran deal has left his country diplomatically isolated.
Tehran agreed in 2015 to curb its uranium enrichment program in exchange for sanctions relief after mammoth negotiations with the US, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, China and Russia.
All the other signatories to the deal had called on Trump to stay with the agreement and condemned his decision to leave—although Le Drian's criticisms are some of the most forceful yet from a key European ally.
Photo Credit: IRNA
France says Iran Nuclear Deal Strengthened by Netanyahu Claims
◢ France said Tuesday that new claims about Iran's nuclear program presented by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reinforced the importance of a 2015 deal that imposes controls on the Islamic republic.
France said Tuesday that new claims about Iran's nuclear program presented by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reinforced the importance of a 2015 deal that imposes controls on the Islamic republic.
In an elaborate televised presentation on Monday, the hawkish Israeli leader claimed he had new "proof" via captured documents that Iran had developed a nuclear weapons plan which could be activated at any time.
The French foreign ministry said the details needed to be "studied and evaluated" but a spokesperson added that the evidence appeared to confirm what European powers had known for more than a decade and half.
"At first sight, they (the details) confirm that part of the Iranian nuclear program, as France and its partners stated during the first revelations in the summer of 2002, was not civilian," said the spokesperson in a statement received by AFP.
The 2015 nuclear deal negotiated between Iran and six world powers imposes nuclear inspections on Iran in return for the loosening of economic sanctions, but US President Donald Trump is threatening to pull out.
"The pertinence of the deal is reinforced by the details presented by Israel: all activity linked to the development of a nuclear weapon is permanently forbidden by the deal," said the foreign ministry spokesperson.
"The inspection regime put in place by the (UN nuclear watchdog) IAEA thanks to the deal is one of the most exhaustive and the most robust in the history of nuclear non-proliferation," the statement added.
French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Trump to stick with the nuclear accord, arguing that it presents the only viable option available to the international community.
Besides agreeing to snap inspections Iran also cut the number of centrifuges used for enriching uranium and reduced its stockpiles of the material.
The Israeli premier has repeatedly called for the deal—which Iran signed with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States—to be either altered or scrapped.
Netanyahu did not present evidence on Monday that Iran had actively worked to obtain an atomic weapon since the 2015 agreement and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) considers the country to be complying. Trump is set to make announcement on May 12.
Photo Credit: Wikicommons
Iranians Welcome Louvre Show Despite Tense Diplomacy
◢ Iranians gave a warm welcome to a new exhibition by France's Louvre on Tuesday -- the first major show by a foreign museum in the country. It features a number of treasures from the Paris museum's collection, including a 2,400-year-old Egyptian sphinx, a bust of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and drawings by Rembrandt and Delacroix.
Iranians gave a warm welcome to a new exhibition by France's Louvre on Tuesday—the first major show by a foreign museum in the country.
"It was great. I never thought I'd see such artworks in my life," said Mehdi, a 26-year-old student. The exhibition certainly appeared to go down better than Monday's visit by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who faced a day of tense discussions with Iranian officials before inaugurating the Louvre show.
The ever-combative Kayhan newspaper summed up the view of Le Drian's visit with the headline: "Impudent guest gets a dressing-down." Le Drian has angered Iran's leaders with his stern criticism of their missile program and foreign interventions.
"It was a tough trip, without concessions," he told reporters on the way back to Paris late Monday. The Louvre show returns the focus to the more positive aspects of France's relations with Iran, which include the rebuilding of trade ties through deals involving companies such as Peugeot, Renault and Total since world powers signed a 2015 nuclear accord with Tehran.
It features a number of treasures from the Paris museum's collection, including a 2,400-year-old Egyptian sphinx, a bust of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and drawings by Rembrandt and Delacroix.
"Very Good" Cooperation
"It was very good, though I was hoping to see more Iranian pieces," said Sorena, a young accountant. "But it was interesting and this sort of international cooperation is very good. Maybe it will lead to more economic relations with other countries."
Only two small pieces from what is now Iran came over from the Louvre collection—an axe dating back more than 3,000 years and an even older mysterious bronze ornament from Lorestan featuring two bulls and a circle of men that became the logo of the Tehran Stock Exchange when it was launched in the 1960s.
"I know there are lots of valuable Iranian pieces in the Louvre, but this is a good start," said Khashayar Tayar, a music teacher in his thirties. "I'm really grateful to the organizers for this show. I hope future exhibitions will have more Iranian pieces to make me even happier."
The exhibition marks the culmination of two years of work since a cultural exchange agreement was signed during a visit by President Hassan Rouhani to Paris in January 2016.
France has deep cultural ties with pre-revolutionary Iran, and the National Museum itself was built by a Frenchman, Andre Godard, in 1938.
"In the tumultuous ocean of international relations, cultural diplomacy is a flare that we should maintain together," Le Drian said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday night.
Photo Credit: IRNA
Louvre Brings "Unprecedented" Show to Tehran
◢ Journalists flooded Iran's National Museum on Monday for the arrival of more than 50 artworks from the Louvre—the first major show by a Western museum in the country's history. The show reflects France's determined use of cultural diplomacy as it seeks to rebuild traditional ties with Iran, even as their officials hold tense talks over political and security issues.
Journalists flooded Iran's National Museum on Monday for the arrival of more than 50 artworks from the Louvre—the first major show by a Western museum in the country's history.
The show reflects France's determined use of cultural diplomacy as it seeks to rebuild traditional ties with Iran, even as their officials hold tense talks over political and security issues.
The doors were unsealed for journalists at the National Museum in central Tehran, which is currently celebrating its 80th anniversary, a day ahead of the public opening.
Among the items shipped over by cargo plane were a 2,400-year-old Egyptian sphinx, a bust of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and drawings by Rembrandt and Delacroix.
"Some were definitely easier to transport than others," said Judith Henon, one of the experts sent by the Louvre. "Our Iranian partners really liked the sphinx, but it weighs close to a tonne and was extremely complicated to put in place."
The show marks the culmination of two years of work since a cultural exchange agreement was signed during a visit by President Hassan Rouhani to Paris in January 2016.
"Relations between France and Iran are old and profound because France was a pioneer of archaeological exploration here," Jean-Luc Martinez, president of the Louvre, told AFP.
"This completely unprecedented exhibition... allows us to make the link between this glorious moment and relations that date back to the 19th century."
Cultural Ties
France has deep cultural ties with pre-revolutionary Iran, and the National Museum itself was built by a Frenchman, Andre Godard, in 1938. While Britain and Russia battled for political influence in 19th century Persia, it was the French who led the way in archaeological affairs.
"France had priority on cultural questions in the late 19th century and was the only one doing digs in Iran," said Julien Cuny, one of the Louvre's curators for the Tehran show, and an expert on Iran.
So as not to hand over everything to Britain and Russia, the Persian monarchs handed control of certain issues to other countries, and cultural affairs ended up largely with France.
"As a result of that, it was the French that set up the antiquities service here in 1930," said Cuny. That helped preserve France's reputation among Iranians even as that of Britain, the United States and Russia plummeted in the years ahead of the 1979 Islamic revolution.
"Back in the day, the British were looking for oil while we were doing archaeology, so our relations have focused on positive things. It's an image that has stuck," said a French diplomat.
The irony is that the show opens just as France and Iran find themselves in a tense diplomatic moment. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was Monday in Tehran to inaugurate the Louvre show, but more importantly to hold difficult talks over ballistic missiles and interventions in the region.
Iran's conservative press accused him of insulting the Iranian people with his criticisms of the missile program and labelled him a "lackey" of US President Donald Trump.
The cultural domain offers a chance to focus on the positive re-engagement between France and Iran, which has also been seen in a number of trade and investment deals involving carmakers Peugeot and Renault as well as energy giant Total since the 2015 nuclear accord. University links are another branch, with some 1,700 Iranians currently studying in France.
"This exhibition reflects the shared ambition to bolster our relations. We want to say that Iran is coming back to international normalization," said a diplomat accompanying Le Drian.
Photo Credit: Wikicommons
French Foreign Minister in Tehran for Tense Talks
◢ French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was in Tehran Monday to push for pledges on Iran's ballistic missile program in a bid to preserve the country's historic nuclear deal. Le Drian had promised a "frank dialogue" ahead of his arrival in Tehran early Monday, but faced an awkward reception given the anger generated by his comments on Iran's missile program and foreign policy.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was in Tehran Monday to push for pledges on Iran's ballistic missile program in a bid to preserve the country's historic nuclear deal.
It is the first visit by one of the European parties to the 2015 nuclear accord since US President Donald Trump set an ultimatum that he would abandon it in May if it was not "improved".
Le Drian had promised a "frank dialogue" ahead of his arrival in Tehran early Monday, but faced an awkward reception given the anger generated by his comments on Iran's missile program and foreign policy.
"In order to keep the United States in the Iran nuclear deal, European countries are suffering from extremism and this will ultimately undermine Europe's policy," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told the reformist newspaper Etemad ahead of his meeting with Le Drian.
It followed the French minister's interview with the Journal du Dimanche a day earlier, in which he warned that Tehran was "exposing itself to new sanctions" if it did not rein in its missile programme.
Conservative media in Iran hit back on Monday, with daily Kayhan writing: "French foreign minister insults people of Iran before visit to Tehran." The Javan newspaper headlined its story: "Trump's Parisian lackey in Tehran."
Le Drian headed into talks with Zarif shortly after meeting with Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme Council of National Security and a close ally of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. There were no public statements or news conferences -- reflecting the
sensitive moment in which the countries find themselves.
'No emissary of Trump'
Trump in January set a 120-day deadline for US lawmakers and European allies to "fix" the nuclear deal, the top foreign policy achievement of his predecessor Barack Obama.
But Iran has refused to re-negotiate the deal or add extra clauses, arguing that the United States has failed to keep up its end of the bargain on the existing accord.
Keen to appease Trump and save the deal, European countries have voiced increasing concern over the missile program, which Iran says is purely defensive and not up for negotiation. Le Drian has said that without an end to ballistic missile tests by Iran, it will "always be suspected, with reason, of wanting to develop nuclear weapons."
Nonetheless, Le Drian's team were keen to emphasise he was no "emissary of Donald Trump" and firmly supported the 2015 deal. "We want to preserve the nuclear deal because it is working, it's robust and because the Iranians are respecting it," the team told AFP.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly found Iran is abiding by its commitments, which curbs its nuclear programme in exchange for a lifting of crippling international sanctions. IAEA director general Yukiya Amano said on Monday that losing the nuclear deal "would be a great loss for nuclear verification and for multilateralism".
France's Re-Engagement
If the political track looks tricky, France is at least hoping that its cultural diplomacy can offer a more positive flavour to the trip with Le Drian due to inaugurate an "unprecedented" show of items from the Louvre in Paris at Tehran's National Museum.
"Relations between France and Iran are old and profound because France was a pioneer of archaeological exploration here," said Jean-Luc Martinez, president of the Louvre.
"This international exhibition allows us to make the link between this glorious moment and the relations dating back to the 19th century." Despite their differences, Iran has broadly welcomed France's re-engagement with the country.
Last year's $5 billion gas exploration deal with French energy giant Total was the biggest in Iran since the nuclear accord, and showed French companies were willing to stand up to pressure from Washington to avoid all business relations with the Islamic republic.
Le Drian is also expected to push Tehran to put pressure on its Syrian ally to end the devastating assault on Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.
In a phone call on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron urged his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani to put the "necessary pressure" on the Syrian government to halt "indiscriminate" attacks in the rebel enclave.
Photo Credit: MFA
French Foreign Minister Visits Iran
◢ France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arrived in Tehran early Monday for talks on the 2015 nuclear deal and Iran's role in the Syrian conflict. It is the first visit by one of the European signatories to the nuclear deal since US President Donald Trump set an ultimatum that he would abandon it in May if it was not "improved".
France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arrived in Tehran early Monday for talks on the 2015 nuclear deal and Iran's role in the Syrian conflict.
It is the first visit by one of the European signatories to the nuclear deal since US President Donald Trump set an ultimatum that he would abandon it in May if it was not "improved".
Le Drian has made it clear to Tehran that he is no "emissary of Donald Trump", the foreign minister's team have told AFP. The visit was originally scheduled for January but postponed due to a week of violent protests in Iran.
"We want to preserve the nuclear deal because it is working, it's robust and because the Iranians are respecting it," Le Drian's team said. Le Drian, however, has said that without an end to ballistic missile tests by Iran, it will "always be suspected, with reason, of wanting to develop nuclear weapons."
Tehran denies seeking nuclear arms and says its missiles are purely defensive and not up for discussion. Iran has said it "will not accept any amendments in (the nuclear) agreement, be it now or in the future, and it will not allow any other issues to be linked to (it)".
Despite their differences, Iran has welcomed French efforts to re-engage economically and politically with the Islamic republic. Last year, Iran signed a $5-billion gas exploration deal with French energy giant Total, Tehran's biggest since the nuclear accord.
But political differences were on show on Sunday in a call between presidents Hassan Rouhani of Iran and France's Emmanuel Macron.
The French president called for Iran to put "the necessary pressure" on its Syrian ally, President Bashar al-Assad, to stop "indiscriminate" attacks on civilians.
For his part, Rouhani said countries exporting weapons to Saudi Arabia—France being one of the biggest suppliers—must answer for war crimes being committed by that country in Yemen.
Photo Credit: Wikicommons
