French FM Says to Visit Iran on March 5

Jean-Yves Le Drian said he would discuss the latest developments about the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers in his trip to the Iranian capital, Tehran.

The French minister added that he would also raise the issue of Iran’s ballistic missile program as well as what he called Iran’s “destabilizing military influence in the Middle East” during his upcoming meetings.

“If Iran wants to return to the concert of nations, it must cooperate on these questions,” said Le Drian, who postponed a trip to Tehran earlier this month.

“Otherwise, it will with reason always be suspected of wanting to develop nuclear weapons,” he claimed, Reuters reported.

Senior Iranian officials have repeatedly said that the country’s missile program is purely defensive, noting that it is not up to France or any other country to make decisions about its ballistic missile program.

On December 4, 2017, Iran advised France to be careful in its views about the Islamic Republic after President Emmanuel Macron called for talks on Tehran’s ballistic missiles.

"French statesmen and other statesmen who speak about Iran’s affairs need to pay attention to the deep developments that have come to pass in the region in past decades and the big changes between the current situation and the past,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said.

"They should analyze the issues more carefully in their words and statements because the Islamic Republic of Iran will definitely not negotiate on defensive and missile matters," he added.