France Insists on Consent Before UN Sanctions Lifted on Iran

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated today that France wants to play a role in negotiations concerning Iran's nuclear program and will not agree to lift United Nations sanctions on Tehran unless it is satisfied with the terms of the final agreement.

Barrot, whose country holds veto power in the UN Security Council, emphasized that the region will not achieve stability unless the ongoing US talks with Iran resolve issues related to Iran's ballistic missile program and its support for allied groups.

In an interview with France Info, the French minister explained that "the significant concessions required from Iran will be reciprocated by the lifting of sanctions, the sanctions imposed on it by the United Nations."

He also pointed out that "France is a permanent member [of the Security Council], so—as was the case ten years ago—approval for lifting sanctions will be necessary," according to Reuters.

The agreement reached this week between the United States and Iran calls for negotiations on Iran's nuclear program over the next 60 days, with the UN Security Council expected to endorse the final deal.

European powers fear that the inexperienced US negotiation team may fail to secure a robust nuclear agreement or address Iran's ballistic missile program in upcoming stages, potentially leading to a prolonged confrontation.

France, along with Britain and Germany, aims to participate actively in shaping forthcoming talks after being sidelined in recent months.

The three countries initiated dialogue with Iran over its nuclear program in 2003 and later collaborated with then-US President Barack Obama to reach a 2015 agreement to curb Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanction relief.

Former US President Donald Trump strongly criticized this deal and withdrew the United States from it during his first term.

Barrot stated, "Our goal is to extract major concessions from the Iranian regime and achieve a fundamental change in its stance. We will have our say because our membership in the United Nations Security Council will necessarily link this agreement to resolving this crisis."

Separately, France has called on Israel to immediately halt escalation in Lebanon.