France Upstages Trump at G7 by Inviting Iran to Salvage Nuclear Deal
France's President Emmanuel Macron and President Trump pose for the media as
they meet for the first working session of the G7 Summit on August 25, 2019,
in Biarritz, France.
France's President Emmanuel Macron and President Trump pose for the media as
they meet for the first working session of the G7 Summit on August 25, 2019,
in Biarritz, France.
Jeff J Mitchell - Pool / Getty Images
By Juan Cole, Informed Comment Published August 26, 2019
In a surprise development, Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif suddenly
flew to Biarritz on Sunday for meetings on the sidelines of the G7 summit.
He clearly was invited at the insistence of French President Emmanuel
Macron, who is still attempting to salvage what he can of the 2015 Iran
nuclear deal, which restricted Irans enrichment activities.
Zarif held talks with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian.
The treaty was signed between Iran and the 5 permanent members of the UN
Security Council plus Germany. Trump breached the Iran deal in 2017, slapped
severe sanctions on Iran and then went around the world strong-arming
countries not to buy Irans petroleum. All this, even though Iran faithfully
lived up to every provision of the treaty. The sanctions have indirectly
provoked a crisis in the availability of medicines in Iran.
Le Journal de Dimanche reports that Macron, representing France, Germany,
Britain and Japan, said, One must have a discussion at the summit on how to
deal with the Iran dossier; there are real disagreements at the core of G7,
with three European powers and Japan having a quite clear position, entirely
assuming a rapport with Iran, and the Americans
who decided to completely
change the line.
The paper says the group of four will attempt to convince Iran to backtack
on its decision to begin violating, at least in minor ways, some terms of
the nuclear deal. In return, they will then press Trump to back away from
his current policy of maximum pressure in Iran, which has resulted in a de
facto blockade on Iranian petroleum sales.
Franceinfo quotes former French ambassador to Iran, François Nicoullaud as
saying that something big must be up.
Zarif is a man of compromise, closely monitored by the radical
conservatives, he said. He is taking a big gamble in even coming to
Biarritz. If he came, it must be because he has something waiting for him
there.
Nicoullaud continued, It is unthinkable that France did not forewarn the
US, even though that would certainly have provoked a crisis. Trump did not
approve of the notion of such a contact, but he left the French free to
intervene. It must be said that Trump is isolated at the G7 on this subject.
He is the only one who seeks to punish Iran, to increase sanctions. All the
others are searching for a solution. The US seems to be saying to France, Go
on, then well see. They are very skeptical, but dont block the others
from acting.
