Rouhani's Phone Call with Leaders of France, Britain, and Russia Regarding Nuclear Negotiations

Hassan Rouhani, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, spoke by phone on Thursday, April 6, with the leaders of France, Britain, and Russia regarding the ongoing nuclear negotiations between Tehran and the six global powers and how to reach an agreement. According to a statement from the Élysée Palace reported by Reuters, the conversation between the Iranian president and François Hollande, his French counterpart, was initiated at the request of the Iranian side. The statement noted: 'President Hollande emphasized the need for comprehensive efforts to reach a sustainable, robust, and verifiable agreement regarding Tehran's nuclear program, while acknowledging Iran's legitimate right to peaceful energy.' He told Hassan Rouhani that the mentioned agreement must ensure that Iran will not acquire nuclear weapons. The Iranian president also requested his French counterpart to play an active role similar to that during the negotiations from 2003 to 2005. According to ISNA, he added: 'Enemies of the two countries' relations want France's role in these negotiations to be unconstructive, but the French government will thwart their goal with its constructive role.' It seems that Rouhani's reference is to Israel's efforts and the requests of its leaders for France to prevent a deal with Iran, which they describe as a 'bad agreement.' The phone conversation between the leaders of Iran and France, which is a rare occurrence in Tehran-Paris relations, comes just days after individuals close to the Iranian nuclear negotiations announced that France had called for the inclusion of stringent conditions from its Western allies in the upcoming agreement with Tehran, such that Iran would halt its controversial nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of all sanctions. According to AFP, Paris has a stricter stance on Iran's nuclear program than Washington. Another report indicates that Hassan Rouhani also spoke by phone with David Cameron, the Prime Minister of Britain, and Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia. The Iranian president told David Cameron that Tehran seeks the lifting of all sanctions in the future agreement with the global powers. According to ISNA, he added: 'We must act in the direction of national and international interests and not let this exceptional opportunity, which relies on the Supreme Leader's fatwa regarding the peaceful nature of its nuclear activities, slip away easily.' Rouhani stated: 'Special conditions prevail in the negotiations, as our commonalities regarding the peaceful nature of nuclear activities and the necessity of lifting all unjust sanctions can lead us to a final solution.' The Iranian president emphasized that all sanctions must be lifted. Reuters also reported, citing a spokesman for the British Prime Minister, that the leaders of the two countries agreed that achieving a framework for a comprehensive and effective agreement by the end of March is possible. The spokesman told reporters: 'Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to reaching an agreement. There are clear signs of the possibility and likelihood of achieving a political framework for an agreement by the end of this month on both sides.' The Kremlin also reported on the phone conversation between the Iranian president and his Russian counterpart, stating that both leaders expressed hope for progress in the ongoing negotiations in Switzerland. Reports indicate that Hassan Rouhani also wrote letters to the leaders of the six global powers whose representatives are negotiating with Iran. AFP reported, quoting American officials, that Barack Obama, the President of the United States, also received such a letter. However, the contents of the Iranian president's letter have not been disclosed. The first round of negotiations between Iran and the U.S. to reach a framework for a political agreement began on Thursday in Lausanne, Switzerland, with several multilateral meetings among the foreign ministers, energy ministers, and deputy foreign ministers of the two countries. Iran claims that its nuclear program is peaceful, but Western countries are concerned about Tehran's potential acquisition of nuclear weapon technology under the guise of its nuclear activities.