Macron Discusses with Rouhani Latest Developments in Lebanon

Rouhani noted that the United States has no right to use the mechanism of this agreement, considering that it left JCPOA more than two years ago.

Referring to the illegal and inhumane action of the United States about imposing sanctions on Tehran, despite the conditions of the Corona epidemic, Rouhani stressed the need for European action to activate economic relations with Iran and cooperate in the fight against COVID-19.

Referring to the situation in Lebanon caused by last week’s horrific explosion in Beirut, Rouhani said, “Lebanon needs more unity among political groups and everyone should help create this unity.”

Emphasizing the need to maintain JCPOA, the French president said, “France’s view on the extension of the arms embargo on Iran is completely different from the US, and this issue has been explicitly stated to the United States.”

Macron also noted that France is taking steps to make the European financial system more active with Iran.

Referring to the situation in Lebanon and his visit to this country, the French President called on Iran to help resolve the Lebanese political crisis and invited Tehran to join the international action group for resolving the Lebanese crisis, which was welcomed by the Iranian President.

US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew his country from the international agreement on Tuesday, May 8, 2018, in violation of Washington’s commitments under the JCPOA, and announced the return of nuclear sanctions

Trump’s move has drawn widespread domestic and international condemnation.

According to White House spokesman on Friday, August 8, US President Donald Trump had a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron about the extension of Iran’s arms embargo.

As the deadline for lifting UN arms sanctions against Iran which is part of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 comes to end, the Americans have redoubled their efforts to prevent the sanctions from being lifted.

In a phone call on January 7, President Rouhani talked with his French counterpart President Emanuel Macron over the recent regional development including Iran’s fifth scale-back step to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Under the fifth step, Iran withdrew from all of the JCPOA limitations except one which is the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections.

Iran took the fifth step as the US perpetrated the assassination of the popular commander Lieutenant General Qasem Suleimani and a number of his companions, including the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.