French President Emmanuel Macron made an hour-long phone call with new Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi on Monday, calling for continuation of talks between Tehran and Paris with the aim of deepening bilateral relations, reports the Tehran Times.
In the phone call, Raisi pointed to the repeated and gross violations of the 2015 nuclear deal by the United States and non-compliance by the three European parties to the international agreement.
Former US President Donald Trump quit the nuclear deal in May 2018 and returned sanctions lifted under the nuclear agreement - officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - and introduced new harsh ones.
Following the US unilateral withdrawal from the legally binding agreement, France, Germany and Britain, known as E3, also failed to abide by their commitments. The E3 officially set up a European mechanism, called INSTEX, to facilitate non-dollar trade with Iran, but it was not realized.
"By imposing new sanctions, the Americans have clearly violated their commitments and even extended the new sanctions to the humanitarian sector," Raisi lamented in his telephone conversation with the French leader.
Emphasizing that both the United States and the Europeans must fulfill their obligations under the JCPOA, Raisi said, "In any negotiation, the rights of the Iranian people must be upheld and the interests of our nation must be ensured."
Iran and the remaining members to the JCPOA started nuclear talks in April to revive the JCPOA with an indirect involvement of the US under the Biden administration.
Though some significant progresses made in six rounds of talks, the sides failed to conclude the talks as the US raised new conditions, such as Iran’s missile program and Iran’s influence in the region.
The last round of talks ended on June 20. Now it is expected that nuclear talks get started under the new government in Iran.
Raisi also noted that the Islamic Republic is very serious about providing security and maintaining deterrence in the Persian Gulf region and the Oman Sea, and will confront the factors that undermine security.
Regarding Lebanon, the president also stressed that Iran supports any action that is aimed at stability, security and improvement of the economic situation in Lebanon. Raisi said Iran welcomes France's support in this regard.
For his part, the French president congratulated Raisi on his inauguration as president and wished him success.
Macron added, "Iran and France can play a role in establishing peace and stability in the region through their cooperation."
The French leader also called for revitalization of the nuclear agreement.
"We are looking for a solution to this issue and we hope that negotiations will start again," Macron said.
Referring to the issue of maritime security, the French president said that Paris and Tehran must create a framework for stability and make sure that there will be stability in all areas, including maritime navigation.
Macron added that France has always tried to provide a solution for stability in Lebanon, and expressed hope that the ground would be laid for stability and solving the country's problems with Iran’s help.
