The Presidents of the United States and France Discuss Iran

The White House states that the President of the United States and his French counterpart recently held a phone conversation regarding the protests in Iran and developments related to North Korea. Donald Trump has expressed support for the protests in Iran and has recently stated his willingness to talk with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. According to a statement released by the White House, the phone conversation between Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron took place on Saturday. The White House indicated that the conversation aimed to emphasize the "importance" of the efforts by the United States, South Korea, and the international community in the denuclearization process of North Korea. On January 6, the U.S. President stated that if conditions arise, he is "definitely" willing to have a phone conversation with Kim Jong-un. At the same time, Donald Trump expressed hope that the negotiations between the two Koreas, which Seoul and Pyongyang have shown readiness to engage in, would yield positive results. According to the White House, both Macron and Trump "agree that the widespread protests in Iran are a sign of the Iranian government's failure to meet the needs of its citizens; instead, it spends the country's wealth on terrorism and military actions abroad." In recent days, Donald Trump has reiterated his support for the protests in Iran. In one of his tweets directed at the citizens of Iran, he stated, "You will witness great support from the United States at the right time." At the request of the United States, a meeting was also held at the United Nations Security Council regarding Iran. During this meeting, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN praised the protesters in Iran and stated that they need the world's help. Nikki Haley mentioned that the unrest in Iran affects not only human rights but also global peace and security. On the other hand, France, another permanent member of the Security Council, has stated that the events in Iran cannot be considered "a threat to global peace and security." Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, on January 5, while supporting the rights of protesters and their right to peaceful protests, stated that any change in Iran must come from within and not from outside the country. The latest protests in Iran, which are considered unprecedented in the past decade, began on January 1 and quickly spread to various cities in Iran. The initial economic protests soon took on a political nature, with slogans against the leader and the institutions of the Islamic Republic, or in support of the Pahlavi kings. According to reports, at least 21 people have been killed during these protests, and hundreds have been arrested. Macron has called for restraint from Iran in dealing with the protesters and has emphasized the need for continued dialogue with Iran, stating that change in Iran must come from within. Additionally, there have been discussions between the Israeli Prime Minister and European leaders regarding the protests in Iran.