Elisha has not commented yet.
On Saturday, the new head of Iranian diplomacy attended a regional summit in Baghdad, along with Macron, the only Western leader in the meeting that focused on combating terrorism and the impact of the Taliban’s takeover of the Afghan capital, Kabul.
“The French were very interested in seizing this opportunity (in Baghdad) to get close to Iran,” Abdollahian said, on the Iranian television website.
He said: “Macron (…) came to me twice.” He added, “He called his foreign minister and told him his invitation (Abdullahian) (…) Bilateral relations must be reviewed.”
Between April and June, six rounds of negotiations were held in Vienna between Iran and international powers, including France, to try to salvage the 2015 international Iran nuclear deal.
With the aim of regulating Tehran’s nuclear program, the agreement was heavily influenced by the unilateral withdrawal of the United States in 2018, which reimposed severe sanctions on the Islamic Republic. In response, it breached most of its obligations in the agreement.
Iran and France, as well as the United Kingdom, Germany, China and Russia, remain signatories to the agreement.
The two sides agreed at the end of June to meet in a new round of negotiations, but there is no specific date.
In addition to Macron, the head of Iranian diplomacy also said he met his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan at the regional summit in Baghdad, which aims to play a role as a mediator between these two powerful neighbors.
“The Saudis … said they expect to form a new (Iranian) government before restoring relations between us,” Abdullahian said, noting that there were no “official” discussions between officials.
Shiite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia have a history of competing for the position of the first regional power, supporting separate parties in the wars in Syria and Yemen.
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Emily Brontë is a journalist and feature writer specialising in culture, entertainment, literature, and current affairs. She is dedicated to producing clear, accurate reporting that helps readers stay informed about developments in the UK and around the world.
