Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Friday held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron about the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, Reutersreports.
Zarif said the talks were “productive”, but stressed that it is not possible to renegotiate the nuclear deal.
“France had presented some suggestions and we presented some suggestions about how to carry out (the nuclear deal) and the steps that both sides need to take,” said Zarif, who was quoted by the Iranian ILNA news agency.
“The talks were good and productive of course it depends on how the European Union can carry out the commitments within (the nuclear deal) and also the commitments that they made after (the nuclear deal) and America’s exit,” he added.
US President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal last May. He later imposed two rounds of sanctions on Iran, the latest of which went into effect in November of 2018.
The European signatories to the 2015 deal, which include France, did not agree with Trump’s decision to leave the agreement and vowed to help Iran evade the economic sanctions imposed by the US, shielding companies doing business with the rogue state in an effort to preserve the Iran nuclear deal.
Zarif’s meeting with Macron followed a back and forth between the US and France after Trump accused Macron of meddling in the dispute between Washington and Tehran.
“Iran is in serious financial trouble. They want desperately to talk to the U.S., but are given mixed signals from all of those purporting to represent us, including President Macron of France,” Trump tweeted two weeks ago.
“I know Emmanuel means well, as do all others, but nobody speaks for the United States but the United States itself. No one is authorized in any way, shape, or form, to represent us!” he added.
France later replied to Trump and said it "needs no permission" to work towards easing tensions between Iran and the US.
