France’s Macron and Iran’s Rouhani Continue Intense Diplomacy

Sept. 1, 2019 (EIRNS)—French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to Iran President Hassan Rouhani again yesterday, despite the fact that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had called Macron, to tell him “it is precisely the wrong time to talk to Iran.” Israel is threatening to invade Lebanon to stop what it calls Iranian threats acting through Hezbollah.

The Elysée said Aug. 31 that Macron had asked Iran to “take necessary measures” to encourage negotiations in Yemen’s war, and urged Iran to show “the greatest restraint in Lebanon so that nothing compromises stability in this moment of great tension.”

Rouhani told Macron that “Complete fulfillment of the commitments of the parties [to the 2015 JCPOA agreement] and providing maritime navigation security in all waterways, including the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, are Iran’s two main objectives in these talks.” Rouhani stressed that Iran will move on to roll out the third phase of reduction of its nuclear commitments in case the EU fails to execute their commitments regarding the JCPOA. “However, this phase will be reversible like the others,” he said. “JCPOA terms are not changeable and all the parties need be committed to its content.”

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will travel to Paris on Sept. 2 with an economic delegation to discuss French proposals for preserving the JCPOA. Presidential Chief of Staff Mahmoud Vaezi reportedly said that Rouhani and Macron had spent five hours on the phone in recent weeks trying to find possible solutions to the standoff between Europe and Iran on implementation of the deal.