France Remains Committed to Iran Nuclear Deal

Foreign Ministry wants deal implemented as written

Jason Ditz 

Posted onFebruary 19, 2018CategoriesNewsTagsFrance, Iran

Pushes by the Trump Administration for the other P5+1 nations to commit to changing the nuclear deal with Iran hit a big snag on Monday, with the French Foreign Ministry issuing a statement affirming its commitment to the deal as already written.

Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Hassan Rouhani

French officials say their position has not changed, and that while they’re open to talking to the US about it, France’s government “reaffirms our full attachment to the global action plan and its strict implementation.”

US officials have been trying to get the European nations in the deal, France, Germany, and Britain, to all commit to the idea that the deal has to be changed, without specifically agreeing on what those changes are. The implication is that President Trump would withdraw the US from the deal in May if he doesn’t get this assurance.

While there is some hope the nuclear deal could survive without the US involved, a commitment by other nations to push for revisions would likely further destabilize it, raising the odds Iran withdraws after the US does.

France has said they remain willing to participate in talks on the nuclear deal, but so long as they remain committed to the deal as already negotiated, there’s little reason to expect the US will want to talk to them, and will likely focus on other nations instead.

https://news.antiwar.com/2018/02/19/france-remains-committed-to-iran-nuclear-deal/