TEHRAN – France would like to return to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and have clear information on Iran’s nuclear activities, President Emmanuel Macron said in a speech to French diplomats on Monday, Nour News reported.

The Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was an agreement signed between Iran and the 5+1 group of countries (U.S., UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) in July 2015. 

The deal limited Iran’s nuclear activities under the condition that all nuclear-related economic and financial sanctions imposed by the West against the Islamic Republic be lifted. U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions against Iran. 

After Joe Biden, a Democrat, was elected as president in the United States, several rounds of talks were held in a bid to revive the JCPOA but to no avail. The last round of talks was held in September 2022. Iran has emphasized repeatedly that it’s always kept the door open to diplomacy. 

During his speech, Macron added that France wants to become a “trusted partner” on the geopolitical front. He also warned against a “risk of weakening” Europe and the West, saying the European Union might need to make decisions faster if it seeks to make progress on its core policies in the future. 

“Our international order is being challenged,” said Macron. “War has returned to European soil, anti-French sentiment is rife, fueled by anti-colonialism or a perceived anti-colonialism that a double standard is being employed,” added Macron. 

MHA/PA