Military clash with Iran 'almost inevitable', French foreign minister says

France’s foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot said military confrontation with Iran is almost inevitable if a deal is not reached, hours after a rare defense cabinet meeting over Iran in Paris.

"We only have a few months until the expiration of this (2015) accord," he told a parliamentary hearing referring to the now-defunct Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) from which US president Donald Trump withdrew during his first term.

"In case of failure, a military confrontation would seem to be almost inevitable," Barrot said, adding that new EU sanctions on Iran linked to the detention of foreign citizens would be approved in the coming weeks.