Macron Still Hopeful of Iran Initiative

EghtesadOnline: French President Emmanuel Macron is acknowledging that his efforts to bring Iran and the US together are "fragile", but says he still sees a "possible path" to rapprochement after decades of conflict.

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31 August 2019

After inviting the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as a surprise guest to the Group of Seven summit in France, Macron said on Tuesday that his risky diplomatic maneuver helped create "the possible conditions of a useful meeting", AP reported.

He expressed hope at G7 on Monday that US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani could meet within weeks.

Trump said there was a "really good chance" that could happen—but Rouhani said on Tuesday that the US president must first lift sanctions imposed on Tehran, according to Financial Tribune.

Macron said afterward that it is France's responsibility to play the "role of a balancing power" and that his efforts allowed hope for a "de-escalation" of tensions.