Macron asks Iran for ‘clear gestures’ on nuclear inspections

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday asked Iranian President Hassan Rouhani for “clear gestures” and an immediate return to the terms of a historic nuclear deal with Western powers.

Macron’s office said in a phone call the French leader also asked Rouhani to cooperate fully with the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, on inspections. and expressed “deep concern” over Tehran’s violations of the agreement.

The 2015 deal – called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – has been hanging by a thread since former US President Donald Trump withdrew Washington and reimposed punitive sanctions against Iran in 2018 .

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian confirmed on Tuesday that France, Britain and Germany will present a resolution at this week’s IAEA Governing Council meeting condemning the suspension by Iran of certain nuclear inspections.

But Iran has warned against such a move.

“I must give this warning, that actions against our expectations will have adverse effects on diplomatic processes and can quickly close windows of opportunity,” Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei told reporters in Tehran.

Iran expects “all parties to act rationally and cautiously and know the value of fleeting moments,” he added. “We are still attached to diplomacy.”

Iran’s parliament passed a law in December calling for the suspension of certain commitments if the United States does not lift unilateral sanctions or if the three European countries do not help Tehran circumvent these sanctions.

The inspection restrictions went into effect on February 23.

Under the agreement with the IAEA, which lasts up to three months, camera data on Iran’s nuclear program will be stored and not transmitted to the agency, and if the sanctions are not lifted by then , Tehran will start erasing the records.

Iranian government spokesman Rabiei said the deal reflected Iran’s “goodwill”, and now the Islamic Republic expects other parties to the nuclear deal to “prove” theirs.

Diplomatic sources in Vienna say the European resolution is due for a vote on Friday and is backed by the United States.

Current US President Joe Biden has indicated he is ready to revive the JCPOA, but insists Iran first revert to all of its nuclear commitments, most of which were suspended in response to sanctions.

Tehran asks Washington to take the first step by removing sanctions.

Iran on Sunday rejected a European offer for an informal meeting involving the United States on the deal, saying the time was not right because Washington did not lift sanctions.