Emmanuel Macron on Saturday called on Iran “to immediately end support” for Russia in the war in Ukraine by ceasing its deliveries of drones, during a telephone interview with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the Elysee said.
The French head of state “warned about the gravity of the consequences, both security and humanitarian, of Iran’s delivery of drones to Russia and called on Tehran to immediately put an end to the support it thus provides to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine,” according to a statement.
A White House spokesperson warned Friday that Russia is “receiving material from Iran to build a drone factory” on its soil and that this site “could be fully operational by early next year.”
The United States estimates that until last May, Russia received “hundreds” of Iranian attack drones, and accuses it of having used them recently to “attack Kiev and terrorize the Ukrainian population”.
Tehran has repeatedly dismissed US accusations of arms supplies to Russia as “baseless”, claiming that it is not a party to the Ukrainian conflict.
On Saturday during this approximately 90-minute telephone conversation, Macron and Ebrahim Raïssi “discussed how to promote relations, in particular the ongoing negotiations (on nuclear) and regional developments”, reported for his part a Iranian official.
According to the French presidency, Macron also “stated his concern about the current trajectory of the Iranian nuclear program”, and “recalled the will of France and its European partners to find a diplomatic solution to this question”.
“He stressed the importance of Tehran taking concrete and verifiable de-escalation measures, and implementing, fully and without delay, its international obligations, as well as the commitments made to the International Atomic Energy Agency” the March 4, adds the Élysée.
The conversation between the two presidents comes at a time when negotiations between Iran and the international community to revive the Iran nuclear deal have stalled.
Known by the acronym JCPOA, the agreement limited Iran’s atomic activities in exchange for lifting international sanctions.
In addition, Macron reiterated “his relief following the release, on May 12, of two French nationals detained in Iran”. But “he also reiterated his deep concern about the situation of the four French nationals still being held in Iran and again called for their immediate release.”
Four French people remain detained in Iran: Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, arrested on May 7, 2022, Louis Arnaud, arrested on September 28, and another person whose identity has never been made public. Paris denounces arbitrary detentions and considers them to be “state hostages”.
