Paris seeks role in Iran talks, says missiles and proxies must be addressed

France wants a role in the next phase of talks on Iran’s nuclear program and will not approve the lifting of UN sanctions unless it is satisfied with the terms of a final accord, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Friday.

Barrot, whose country is a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, said any final deal would need Security Council endorsement and that France would have to approve the lifting of UN sanctions.

“The return for major concessions that will be asked of Iran is the lifting of sanctions, sanctions that were taken at the United Nations,” Barrot told franceinfo.

The US-Iran agreement reached this week calls for 60 days of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, with a final deal to be endorsed by the Security Council.

Barrot said regional stability would require the talks to address not only Tehran’s nuclear program but also its ballistic missile program and support for proxy groups.

“Our objective is to get major concessions from the Iranian regime, a radical change in posture. And we will have our word to say, because as a member of the UNSC it will be necessarily linked to the resolution of this crisis,” Barrot said.