French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Monday that Iran's nuclear program is nearing the point of no return, stressing the need for Paris to engage in strategic discussions with US President Donald Trump's administration about Tehran.
Macron urged the European parties to the lapsed 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran to consider reimposing sanctions, he told an annual conference with French ambassadors to outline foreign policy objectives in 2025,
"The acceleration of the nuclear program leads us nearly to the point of no return,” he said, describing Iran as the main strategic and security challenge for France and Europe.
Iran says its uranium enrichment program is for peaceful purposes but has accelerated activity since US President-elect Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal - officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - during his first term and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.
“Remember, when the United States decided to denounce the JCPOA, which they themselves had promoted, France had a simple view: we must move towards a broader agreement. This is our strategy today,” Macron added.
Last month, European powers France, Germany, and Britain warned that Iran’s actions had further eroded the agreement, noting that Tehran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium has no credible civilian justification.
In December, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog reported that Iran was dramatically advancing enrichment close to the 90% purity needed only for weapons-grade material.
The three European nations, co-signatories of the 2015 accord, had brokered the deal under which Iran agreed to limit enrichment in exchange for the lifting sanctions. With the sanctions reimposed, Iran saw little to no incentive to keep its part of the bargain.
French, German, and British diplomats are scheduled to meet with Iranian counterparts on January 13 for a follow-up to last month’s talks, aimed at exploring serious negotiations in the coming months to ease tensions with Tehran as Trump prepares to return to the White House on January 20.
"In the coming months we will have to ask ourselves whether to use ... the mechanism to restore sanctions," Macron said, referring to October 2025 when the JCPOA formally expires.
Macron also mentioned Iran's ballistic missiles and support for Russia, labeling them threats to Europe and calling for diplomacy with Trump after he took office.
“Its (Iran’s) ballistic missile program threatens European soil and our interests. Iran is already involved in Russia's war against Ukraine through clear and fully identified military support.”
Warning that Iran’s use of terrorism continues throughout the world, he said, “Tehran’s support for dangerous groups across all conflict zones in the Middle East and its attempts to establish a presence in Africa amplify this danger through its so-called proxies.”
