French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called for de-escalation in the Middle East during a call with his Iranian counterpart, also pressing for the release of French nationals held in Iran.
PARIS: France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot (pic) called for de-escalation in the Middle East during a conversation with his Iranian counterpart. The French foreign ministry detailed the contents of the Wednesday call on Thursday.
Barrot “condemned the Iranian strikes, reaffirmed France’s commitment to stability in the Middle East, to de-escalation, and to the resumption of a demanding diplomatic dialogue, in compliance with international law”. He also expressed concern over the fate of “nationals detained in Iran”, calling for their “immediate and unconditional release”.
Iran freed French nationals Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris in November after more than three years in prison on espionage charges. Their families say the charges were fabricated, and the pair are still waiting to leave the country.
France has described Kohler and Paris as “state hostages” taken by Tehran in a bid to extract concessions. President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said US-Israel military operations in Iran since Saturday had been conducted “outside international law”.
But he placed primary blame on the Islamic republic for the conflict that has since spread to other parts of the Middle East. Macron cited their “dangerous” nuclear programme, support for regional proxies, and orders to shoot “its own people” during protests in January.
