Emmanuel Macron: Iran Must Not Acquire Nuclear Weapons Under Any Circumstances

Emmanuel Macron stated on Wednesday, April 24, at the U.S. Congress that France will not withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as it has signed it. The French President, who is on a three-day visit to Washington, referred to the JCPOA in front of members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, saying, "President Trump and I have decided to work on a comprehensive agreement." He added, "As long as a broader international agreement to address the concerns of the United States and European countries regarding Iran has not been reached, the U.S. must remain in the JCPOA." Macron stated, "It is true that this agreement may not address all concerns and very important worries, but we must not abandon it without having a strong and very solid agreement to replace it. That is my position." He emphasized, "The goal is clear: Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons under any circumstances—neither now, nor in five years, nor in ten years, never." Macron also mentioned that opposition to Iran's nuclear ambitions "should not lead us toward war in the Middle East... neither should we be naive nor should we start new wars." He expressed, "Regardless of what decision the United States makes, we will not leave the scene to the actions of outlaws. We will not abandon the arena to the power struggles in the Middle East." The French President added, "I believe we can reach a comprehensive agreement for the entire region, for our people, as it will fully address our concerns." The nuclear agreement with Iran, signed by six world powers in July 2015, has been a contentious issue during Donald Trump's presidency in the U.S. Trump claims it is the worst agreement, and if European countries do not address its "catastrophic flaws" by May 12, the U.S. will likely not extend the suspension of sanctions against Iran and will withdraw from the JCPOA. Macron met with Trump on the first day of his visit and had extensive discussions about the JCPOA. In a joint press conference with his American counterpart, he stated that he opposes the destruction of the nuclear agreement with Iran but seeks a new agreement that "addresses all concerns." He specified that he wants an agreement that includes four issues: first, preventing any nuclear activity by Iran until 2025, which has been achieved due to the JCPOA. Second, ensuring that Iran will not have nuclear activities in the long term. The third key issue is stopping Iran's ballistic missile activities in the region. The fourth issue is creating conditions for a political solution to contain Iran in the region—in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. Trump reiterated his previous positions in the press conference, stating, "I hold many responsible for this bad agreement, including the U.S. Congress and many others, and this agreement should never have happened. But I say if Iran threatens us, it will pay a price that few countries in the world have paid."