Conservative Figures Protest French Foreign Minister's Visit to Tehran

One day after the presidents of Iran and France emphasized increasing cooperation, several conservative figures protested the upcoming visit of the French Foreign Minister to Tehran next week, with the head of the Council for the Policy-Making of Friday Prayer Leaders calling the French Foreign Minister a 'Zionist.' According to Fars News Agency, Reza Taghavi, the head of the Policy-Making Center for Friday Prayer Leaders, stated in remarks before the Friday prayers on July 24 in Tehran: 'The Friday prayer leaders believe that those who exerted the most pressure on Iran during the sanctions should be at the back of the line, not have a red carpet rolled out for them.' He added: 'We say this Zionist French Foreign Minister, who caused the most trouble for our diplomatic team, now wants to come to Iran; why should we roll out a red carpet for him?' Laurent Fabius, the French Foreign Minister, is set to visit Tehran next week for official talks with high-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic. This marks the first visit by a French Foreign Minister to Tehran in 12 years. Mr. Fabius has stated that France's tough stance in nuclear negotiations will not negatively impact economic relations with Iran in the post-sanctions era. Hassan Rouhani and François Hollande, the presidents of Iran and France, agreed last Thursday during a phone call to increase bilateral cooperation between Tehran and Paris. Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, has published interviews with several members of parliament and conservative political figures opposing the French Foreign Minister's visit to Iran. Ismail Kowsari, a representative from Tehran, referred to what he called 'the crimes and hostile positions' of France against the Islamic Republic, stating: 'The French have never traveled to our country to boost Iran's economy, and they have no sympathy for us, yet our officials are oblivious to these issues.' Ahmad Amirabadi, a representative from Qom, also referred to France as 'the representative of Israel' in the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 group. Mr. Taghavi, in another part of his remarks, said: 'We say America is the number one enemy of the oppressed; now some, while the agreement is still unclear, want an American McDonald's to come to Iran and open a branch.' Meanwhile, Gholamali Haddad Adel, the head of the conservative faction in parliament, also said on Friday: 'Some reformist media outlets are announcing on their front pages that McDonald's branches will be opened.' He added: 'They believe that a revolution that wants to stand against oppression and imperialism should set these aside and talk about the arrival of McDonald's. That is where the danger lies.' Following the Vienna nuclear agreement, reports have emerged on some Iranian websites about the possibility of opening McDonald's branches in Iran. In this context, the AANA news agency quoted Asadollah Ahmadi, the head of the Food Vendors Union, stating that McDonald's must obtain a letter from the places administration and a business license from the food vendors' guild to operate in Iran. In this context, the European Union has confirmed the nuclear agreement between Iran and the six world powers.