Iran, France to Work on Proposals to Save Nuclear Deal

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif is heading to Paris on Friday to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron. The discussion will focus on a series of proposals, both French and Iranian, on ways to save and strengthen the P5+1 nuclear deal.

Since the US withdrew from the nuclear deal and started taking measures to undermine it internationally, France has taken the lead among EU nations in trying to keep the deal viable. Iran has been pushing in particular for them to ensure that sanctions relief and access to global trade come into play.

Iran has made a few moves to dial up the size of its civilian nuclear program to try to get the deal going faster, taking measures that would easily be reversible once a deal is in place. It’s clear that saving the deal is the goal, and Iran has also said all they really want is the right to sell their oil. Failing that, however, some Iranian officials suggest they might scrap the deal, since they’re not getting what they were promised out of it.

Having the deal collapse is potentially a prelude to a US attack on Iran. Zarif made clear he’s not seeking a war with the US, but that he believes the US is trying to provoke the situation with their Persian Gulf operations. He also warned Iran would defend their own interests along their own coastline if it comes to that, which will almost certainly be spun as an “Iranian threat” by Western media over the next few days.