Spokesman of the Foreign Policy Commission: The Government Should Reassess Relations with France

On Tuesday, November 20, the spokesman for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly called for the government to reassess its relations with France. According to Tasnim News Agency, Hossein Naqavi Hosseini, a member of the principlist faction 'Followers of the Guardianship', made this request due to what he termed 'anti-Iranian' statements from French officials. He added that the remarks from French officials regarding the necessity to 'limit Iran's influence in the region' come at a time when Paris has had a 'special status in Iran's international dealings'. According to this parliament member, 'especially after the JCPOA, significant contracts in the oil and automotive sectors have been signed with this country. However, we see that the French are moving according to U.S. policies in the region.' Mr. Naqavi Hosseini accused France of coordinating with the U.S. in its stance against Iran's missile program and in 'regional issues'. He questioned, 'Why should Iran's most significant economic interaction after the JCPOA be with a country that clearly has hostile policies towards us?' He called for a reassessment of the government's relationship with France. These comments from the principlist parliament member came after the spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry described Iran's missile program as a source of 'instability and insecurity' in the region on November 16. Agnes Romatet Espinay stated that Paris seeks 'clear and uncompromising negotiations' with Tehran regarding the Islamic Republic's missile program. A week prior, Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, during a trip to the Middle East, stated that negotiations with Iran regarding its missile program are necessary and that 'there is a possibility of sanctions against Iran's missile program.' The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson responded to Macron's remarks by stating that Tehran will not negotiate over its missile program. Bahram Qasemi said, 'We have repeatedly told French officials that the JCPOA is non-negotiable and no other issues will be allowed to be added to it.' He added that France is fully aware of the Islamic Republic's 'firm position' that 'Iran's defense matters are non-negotiable.' Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French Foreign Minister, also expressed concern in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, about Iran's 'interventions' and 'hegemonic' intentions in the region. Following the sudden resignation of Saad Hariri, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, who accused Iran and Hezbollah of interfering in Lebanese and regional affairs, the French Foreign Ministry called for Iran to refrain from interfering in Lebanon's internal affairs, stating that this is an important condition for establishing stability in the region. Meanwhile, diplomatic sources told Reuters that Jean-Yves Le Drian, who was scheduled to visit Tehran by the end of this month, has postponed his trip due to a busy work schedule. The French Foreign Minister was to visit Tehran and prepare for Emmanuel Macron's trip to Iran. The news of an agreement between Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump, the President of the United States, regarding the necessity to counter Iran's and Hezbollah's 'destabilizing actions' and Macron's phone conversation with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, about 'Iran's efforts to stabilize its military presence in Syria and other Iranian activities in the region' has angered Iran. Iran's policies in recent years have faced criticism from several countries in the region and the world, which refer to what they call Iran's interference in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. However, Tehran denies any interference in these countries. In this context, following the French President's remarks about Iran's behavior in the Middle East, a senior advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic accused this French official of 'interfering in Iran's affairs.' Ali Akbar Velayati stated that 'we do not seek permission from others for our country's defense issues and programs regarding whether we should have missiles or not,' questioning what authority Emmanuel Macron has to interfere. If he wants Iran and France's relationship to be a growing one, he should refrain from interfering in such matters. Mr. Macron, whose country was one of the six global powers present in the nuclear negotiations with Iran, has recently called for bringing Iran to the negotiating table regarding its long-range missile program more explicitly. Resolution 2231 of the Security Council, which effectively endorsed the nuclear agreement between Iran and the six global powers, calls on Iran to refrain from developing ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The United States claims that Iran is not adhering to the spirit of the nuclear agreement, and Donald Trump has refrained from certifying Tehran's compliance with the JCPOA. However, the Islamic Republic has rejected these accusations, stating that missile tests have a 'defensive aspect' and cannot be designed for carrying a nuclear warhead in the absence of a military nuclear program.