French Foreign Minister to Visit Tehran Soon

Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French Foreign Minister, announced on Tuesday, November 1, that he will soon travel to Tehran to prepare for President Emmanuel Macron's upcoming visit to Iran. Speaking at the 'Council on Foreign Relations' in New York, Le Drian reiterated his defense of the Iran nuclear agreement, known as the JCPOA, stating that it eliminates the possibility of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. However, he emphasized that this agreement does not prevent discussions on other issues, such as Iran's missile program and its activities in the region. Western countries have strongly criticized Iran's actions in the region, including its military and financial support for Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthi Shiite militants in Yemen. Le Drian stated that he would raise these concerns with Iranian officials during his visit. This visit comes at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump announced last month that he would not certify Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement, and the U.S. Congress must decide on sanctions against Iran. This has raised warnings from European leaders who emphasize the importance of maintaining the nuclear agreement. Le Drian mentioned that he would travel to Tehran in the second half of November, although he did not specify the exact date of President Macron's visit. Emmanuel Macron will be the first French president to visit Iran during the Islamic Republic's rule, with the last visit by a French president occurring in 1976, three years before the revolution in Iran.