Paris, June 22 (IANS) France, on Sunday, expressed concerns after the strikes carried out by the US against three nuclear sites in Iran and said that “it was not all involved in these strikes or in the planning of these strikes”.
France urges the US, Iran and Israel to exercise restraint to avoid any escalation that could lead to an extension of the conflict in the Middle East region, the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the French government that handles France’s foreign relations, said in a statement.
In view of the Iran-Israel conflict, the Ministry said that their priority is to ensure the safety of French agents and nationals, as well as that of France’s interests and partners in the Middle East region.
The Ministry also said in the statement that France has repeatedly expressed its very firm opposition to Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, adding that only a lasting solution to this conflict requires a negotiations within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The statement also noted that France remains ready to contribute to this inconjunction with its allies.
The statement said that France has taken note of the statement released by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which confirms that at this stage no high levels of radiation have been detected after the US bombed three nuclear sites in Iran on Saturday evening.
France will hold an emergency defence Cabinet meeting on Sunday to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East after the US launched air strikes on Iran, the French presidency said.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who spoke to several world leaders, including the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the issue, will hold further talks with European and regional leaders earlier on Sunday, the French presidency said.
Earlier on Sunday morning, US President Donald Trump declared that America had bombed three nuclear sites in Iran and warned Tehran of further precision strikes unless it ended its confrontation with Israel.
The targeted locations reportedly include the highly fortified Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear facilities.
Addressing a media briefing just hours after the strikes on Saturday (US time), Trump said, “This cannot continue. There will either be peace or tragedy for Iran, far greater than what we have witnessed over the last eight days. There are many targets left.”
“Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal, but if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill,” he added.
The President asserted that the strikes were aimed at crippling Iran’s “nuclear enrichment capacity and put a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror.”
Despite weeks of diplomatic efforts to renegotiate a nuclear agreement with Tehran — following the US withdrawal from the 2015 accord in 2018 — Trump has now thrown full support behind Israel’s military campaign against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and high-ranking military officials, a campaign launched a little over a week ago.
In his statement, Trump extended gratitude to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying, “I want to thank and congratulate Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. We worked as a team, like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we’ve gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel. I want to thank the Israeli military for the wonderful job they’ve done.”
The air conflict between the two nations erupted on June 13 when Israel launched a surprise strike on Iran.
Israeli authorities claimed the offensive was a preemptive measure to stop Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons — an ambition Iran has consistently denied.
The conflict has since raised tensions across the region, already on edge following Israel’s prolonged war in Gaza since October 2023.
The latest exchange has now drawn in the United States in a direct military capacity.
Earlier in the day, Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, calling the strikes a “historic moment for the United States of America, Israel, and the World… Iran must now agree to end this war. Thank you!”
In another post, the US President praised American forces, writing, “There is not another military in the World that could have done this. Now is the time for peace! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Iranian state media confirmed that parts of the Fordow nuclear facility were hit in what it called “enemy strikes,” though further details on the extent of the damage remain limited.
–IANS
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