France Tells Iran It's Disappointed To See No Progress In Nuclear Talks

In a two-hour telephone conversation Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron told Iran's Ebrahim Raisi that he is disappointed with results of nuclear talks.

Macron expressed his disappointment to his Iranian counterpart Raisi at the lack of progress over talks on the 2015 nuclear agreement, the Elysee Palace said in a statement.

In June, Iran began removing essentially all the monitoring equipment of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), installed under its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Iran has been enriching uranium at 20 and 60 percent since early 2021, raising alarm in Western capitals and among regional countries of getting closer to a nuclear breakout point.

The French leader urged Raisi to make a "clear choice" to reach a deal and go back to the implementation of Iran's commitments under the 2015 nuclear agreement, the Elysee Palace said.

Macron said he was convinced that such an outcome was still possible but that it should take place "as soon as possible," the French presidency said.

According to the official Iranian news agency IRNA, Raisi reiterated Iran's demands of receiving guarantees of full economic benefits to make a nuclear deal possible.

Macron also urged the liberation of four French citizens that he said were "held arbitrarily" in Iran.