France says it opposes 'nuclear Iran,' but seeks diplomatic solution for current escalation

ISTANBUL

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated on Tuesday that while France opposes a "nuclear Iran," it seeks a diplomatic solution to the current escalation.

"The voice of France. It is clear… It is strong. It stands for peace and security for all. And this position is based on a double refusal," Barrot said at the weekly Questions to Government session in the National Assembly, emphasizing that France opposes a "nuclear Iran," which poses an "existential threat."

However, Barrot said it could "only be solved through negotiation" by being "more demanding" than the US and "obtaining significant concessions from Iran."

"We must acknowledge that negotiation remains, even today, the only way to achieve a rollback of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic program. That is why we are calling for restraint, for de-escalation, and an end to strikes from both sides. We are calling for a return to negotiation," he said.

Barrot also underscored that France refuses to see "Gaza occupied, the West Bank colonized, Hamas continuing to hold hostages in the tunnels of Gaza, and humanitarian aid blocked at the entrance of Gaza while the population starves."

He reaffirmed Paris' "commitment" to holding the recently postponed UN conference on the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, which is co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France.

"Even though we had to postpone it for logistical and security reasons, we remain determined to hold this conference for the two-state solution, which has now set in motion an unstoppable dynamic that will lead us to recognize the State of Palestine," Barrot added.

Regional tensions have escalated since Friday, when Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on multiple sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.

Israeli authorities said that at least 24 people have been killed and hundreds injured in Iranian missile attacks since Friday.

Iran, for its part, said that at least 224 people have been killed and over 1,000 others wounded in the Israeli assault.