Iranian, French Presidents Discuss Vienna Talks In Phone Call

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron have discussed ways to quicken the pace of Iran's nuclear talks in Vienna.

In a telephone conversation on Saturday, Raisi reiterated Tehran’s position that removal of sanctions, verification, and credible guarantees are the basic requirements for any deal in Vienna.

Raisi told Macron that "the Islamic Republic has already proven its resolve and seriousness for the realization of the agreement”, adding that any effort by the other side should incorporate Iran’s threefold demands.

Raeisi noted that the US itself has admitted that the former administration's decision to leave the 2015 deal and reimpose the so-called maximum pressure campaign had ended in failure.

During the phone call, Macron insisted that a deal is still possible if all parties give clear and sufficient commitments, stressing the need to accelerate the pace of the talk for achieving tangible progress.

The Élysée said Macron condemned Iran-backed Houthis' attack against the UAE, adding that he also expressed concern about the situation of jailed French national Benjamin Brière.

Macron also asked Raisi to immediately release 62-year-old anthropologist Fariba Adelkhah, who has been detained in Iran since 2019 on vague political charges.

The Iranian and French presidents also talked about the situation in Lebanon, where the influence of Iran-backed militant Hezbollah has sparked tensions in the sectarian country.