Tehran, 23 October (H.S.): Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of making contradictory statements regarding Iran’s nuclear programme, questioning his latest remarks by citing a speech he delivered before the US Congress in 2018. Araghchi urged the French president to clarify his position and ensure consistency between his past and present statements.

According to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, Araghchi compared Macron’s earlier remarks with his recent comments in a post on the social media platform X. He said that in 2018, Macron had supported the Iran nuclear agreement and rejected the prospect of abandoning it, whereas he was now claiming that he had always opposed any form of nuclear activity in Iran.

Araghchi referred to Macron’s address to the US Congress on April 25, 2018. During that speech, the French president defended the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), describing it as an important framework for regulating and monitoring Iran’s nuclear activities.

In his post, Araghchi wrote, “Just before the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, Macron stood before the US Congress and insisted that France would not leave the JCPOA because we had signed it.” Referring to Macron’s recent remarks, the Iranian foreign minister said the French president was now claiming that he had always opposed any nuclear activity in Iran.

Addressing Macron directly, Araghchi urged him to clarify his position, saying, “Mr President, please get your story straight.”

The JCPOA, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was concluded in 2015 between Iran and six major powers—the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China and Germany. The agreement was designed to impose restrictions and monitoring mechanisms on Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. It was widely regarded internationally as a major diplomatic initiative aimed at resolving disputes surrounding Iran’s nuclear activities through negotiations.

However, in May 2018, then-US President Donald Trump announced Washington’s withdrawal from the agreement. The decision subsequently contributed to escalating tensions between Iran and Western countries over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Araghchi also shared screenshots of excerpts from Macron’s 2018 address. In the speech, Macron had stated that France would not abandon the agreement and argued that withdrawing from it without a viable alternative would not be appropriate. He advocated preserving the existing nuclear accord while simultaneously addressing other concerns related to Iran.

Araghchi’s argument is that a discrepancy exists between Macron’s earlier position and his recent statements. According to the Iranian foreign minister, the French president should clarify his actual stance on Iran’s nuclear programme and the 2015 agreement.

The dispute has once again intensified debate over Western policies towards Iran’s nuclear programme, highlighting continuing differences in diplomatic approaches to the issue.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar