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French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday characterised the protests in Iran as a “revolution” and said the crackdown by Iranian leaders would make it harder to reach agreement on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.
Macron also said he favoured tougher action against Iranian officials over the crackdown.
Speaking after he met four Iranian women activists over the weekend, Macron told France Inter radio that more European Union sanctions would be adopted in reaction to Tehran’s actions.
“Something unprecedented is happening,” Macron said in an interview. “The grand children of the revolution are carrying out a revolution and are devouring it,” Macron said when asked to qualify what was taking place in Iran.
Ties between France and Iran have deteriorated in recent months as efforts to revive the nuclear talks, to which France is one of the parties, have stalled.
>> Has Iran ruined its nuclear deal chances with violent crackdown?
Macron said he did not believe any new proposals could help revive the deal and that a new framework is likely to be needed to address the matter.
“This revolution changes many things,” Macron said. “I don’t think there will be new proposals which can be made right now [to save the nuclear deal]”, he said.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman criticised Macron on Saturday after he met the women activists, calling his stance “shameful” and a violation of France’s responsibilities in the fight against terrorism.
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Anti-government protests broke out in September over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while she was in police custody. The EU, the United States, Canada and Britain have imposed sanctions on Iran. EU foreign ministers will impose new sanctions on Iran on Monday, diplomats and officials…
Source : france24
