Iran Welcomes French Role in Trying to Save Nuclear Deal

Top Macron aide meeting with Iranian officials in Tehran

French officials are expressing hope that they will come up with a new round of negotiations with Iran by July 15. The Iranian government issued a statement welcoming the French role in reducing tensions and trying to save the P5+1 nuclear deal.

French adviser Emmanuel Bonne, one of Macron’s top diplomatic aides, is in Tehran, and has been visiting members of the Iranian Foreign Ministry to try to work out details.

Iran has been soliciting talks by increasing uranium enrichment, believing that they could no longer just keep waiting for EU nations to follow through on sanctions relief. France has been the most interested in working this out.

The US, who already withdrew from the nuclear deal, is trying to keep the EU nations from delivering on sanctions relief, in an attempt to kill the deal. Iranian officials say the US is practically isolated on the issue.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.