Military confrontation 'almost inevitable' if Iran nuclear talks fail: French FM

4 months ago 28

France's overseas curate warned Wednesday that a subject confrontation with Iran would beryllium "almost inevitable" if talks implicit Tehran's atomic programme failed.

"In the lawsuit of failure, a subject confrontation would look to beryllium astir inevitable," Jean-Noel Barrot said successful parliament, adding that it would severely destabilise the region.

Earlier Wednesday, President Emmanuel Macron chaired a gathering connected Iran.

US President Donald Trump has threatened that Iran volition beryllium bombed if it persists successful processing atomic weapons. Iran's ultimate leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has promised to deed back.

"Our assurance and our condemnation stay intact," Barrot said. "Iran indispensable ne'er get atomic weapons."

"Our precedence is to scope an statement that verifiably and durably constrains the Iranian atomic program," helium added.

Since taking bureau successful January, Trump has reinstated his "maximum pressure" policy, which successful his archetypal word saw the United States retreat from a landmark 2015 statement connected Iran's atomic programme and reimpose sanctions connected Tehran.

Western countries including the United States person agelong accused Iran of pursuing a atomic weapon, which Tehran has denied, insisting that its enrichment activities are solely for peaceful purposes.

The 2015 atomic woody betwixt Tehran and satellite powers required Iran to bounds its atomic processing successful speech for sanctions relief.

Barrot besides announced that France would "soon" lodge a ailment against Iran astatine the International Court of Justice implicit the destiny of 2 detained French nationals.

The ailment would beryllium filed implicit "the usurpation of the close to consular protection", helium said, referring to Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who were detained successful Iran successful May 2022 connected accusations of seeking to disturbance up labour protests.

Western countries person for years accused Iran of detaining their nationals connected trumped-up charges successful a argumentation of authorities hostage-taking to usage them arsenic bargaining chips to extract concessions.

"We are going to measurement up unit connected the Iranian authorities adjacent further," Barrot said.

He besides said "additional European sanctions against Iranian officials liable for the argumentation of authorities hostage-taking" would beryllium announced successful the coming days.

In March, French nationalist Olivier Grondeau, detained by Iran successful 2022 connected information charges but described by his household arsenic an guiltless tourist, was returned to France aft being released.

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