ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday said France and other European powers would make an offer to Iran of a comprehensive diplomatic solution to end the conflict with Israel, while emphasizing the need that the UN nuclear watchdog must be allowed to ensure that Tehran does not enrich uranium.
Top French, German, and British diplomats will meet their Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi later Friday in Geneva on Tehran’s nuclear program saga, and to find a way to put an end to the ongoing air war between the Islamic republic and Israel.
The Geneva meeting is seen as a major diplomatic push to defuse tensions between Israel and Iran. The meeting is said to launch a two-week window for securing a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
The meeting will aim to "make a complete diplomatic and technical offer for negotiations," Macron told reporters, adding that Paris, Berlin, and London were "putting a diplomatic solution on the table".
"Iran must show that it is willing to join the platform for negotiations we are putting on the table," Macron said on the sidelines of the Paris Air Show.
"It is essential to prioritise a return to substantive negotiations [with Iran] which include nuclear... to move to zero enrichment [by Iran of uranium]... ballistics, to limit Iranian capacities, and the financing of all the terrorist groups that destabilise the region," Macron said.
Macron said that "no-one should neglect the risk that an Iran with nuclear weapons would present", adding that the Islamic republic presented an "existential risk" for Israel.
Tensions have escalated between Iran and Israel in recent days, after Israel launched a large-scale offensive early Friday, targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities across the country, killing dozens of high-profile military commanders and nuclear scientists.
Iran has responded to the strikes, firing hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones toward Israeli territories, most of which have been intercepted by Israel’s air defenses.
The escalations came days before Tehran and Washington were set to enter a sixth round of nuclear talks, mediated by Oman. The meeting was cancelled in light of the attacks.
Araghchi said Friday that Tehran is not ready for any talks unless Israel stops its air war on Iran, in response to US President Donald Trump’s call that the Islamic Republic should resort to diplomacy to abandon its nuclear program.
"We are not ready for any talks with any party while Israeli attacks continue,” Araghici told Iranian state media. "The United States wants dialogue and has sent serious messages in this regard.”
Facebook
LinkedIn
Telegram
X
