Zarif urges E3 to act ‘constructively’ in Vienna meeting

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday urged the three European parties to the 2015 nuclear agreement – Britain, France and Germany - to honor their commitments under the pact and act constructively in the meeting in Vienna on Tuesday.

France uses the opportunity in new U.S. administration to pressure Iran

TEHRAN - On Thursday, Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French foreign minister, demanded Iran to immediately return to its commitments under the nuclear deal to restrict Tehran’s nuclear program.

Zarif criticizes E3 for non-compliance with JCPOA

TEHRAN – Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has responded to recent remarks by his French counterpart who called for “tough discussions” on Iran’s ballistic missiles and its regional role, saying that the European signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal did nothing to save the deal, officially called the JCPOA.

French FM says it is urgent U.S. returns to JCPOA, asks Iran to revise nuclear policy

TEHRAN - The French foreign minister has said it urgent that Tehran abides by the terms of the nuclear agreement and Washington returns to the deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Fighting coronavirus requires intl. cooperation, Zarif says

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday that fighting the coronavirus outbreak requires international cooperation.

Iran urges E3 to fulfill JCPOA obligations if they want nuclear standoff solved  

MUNICH -- The only path to put an end to the current nuclear standoff between Iran and the Europe is that the European trio, also called E3, fulfill their undertakings under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday.

France welcomes six European countries’ decision to join INSTEX

TEHRAN – French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has welcomed six European countries’ decision to join the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX).

Iran calls French FM’s remarks on nuclear deal ‘irresponsible’

TEHRAN - Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Thursday that French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian’s remarks on the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, were “irresponsible”.

By staff and agency

UAE seeks de-escalation of tension with Iran, Le Drian says

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Monday that the United Arab Emirates and France call for de-escalation and prioritizing diplomacy with Iran.

By Javad Heirannia

INSTEX has a limited scope: Finaud

TEHRAN - Marc Finaud, the former French Foreign Ministry spokesman, says that the INSTEX mechanism is operational but has a limited scope.

By Javad Heirannia

Europe has not been honest with Tehran: Shireen Hunter

TEHRAN - Shireen Tahmaasb Hunter, a professor of political science at Georgetown University, tells the Tehran Times that “France is not capable of doing anything to ensure the JCPOA's survival without American approval.”

France says after de-escalation of U.S.-Iran tensions

TEHRAN – French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Sunday his country’s main aim at the UN General Assembly meeting is to de-escalate the Tehran-Washington tensions.

By staff and agency

Le Drian to Trump: 'No permission' needed for dialogue with Iran

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday that Paris "needs no permission" to engage in dialogue with Iran, responding to an earlier tweet by President Donald Trump scolding French President Emmanuel Macron over the matter.

Iran says won’t let disturbance in Strait of Hormuz

TEHRAN - Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that Iran will not let disturbance in shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

By staff and agency

Lavrov and Le Drian discuss nuclear deal

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian held a phone conversation on Tuesday discussing the 2015 nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

By staff and agencies

European chief diplomats insist on the need to save nuclear deal

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and a number of European foreign ministers have said they seek to discuss how to save the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA.

French hypocrisy toward Yemen war

TEHRAN- French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Tuesday reiterated calls for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to end a conflict in Yemen that he described as a “dirty war”.

By staff and agency

It is a pity U.S. not honoring JCPOA commitments, French FM says

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has said that it is a pity that the U.S. is not honoring its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Foreign Minister Zarif says Israel is looking for war.

Zarif: Iran won’t forsake own security for Le Drian’s sake

TEHRAN – In a panel discussion on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Sunday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he cannot deprive his country of its defense capabilities just for the sake of his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian.

BY Haniyeh Sadat Jafariyeh

SPV: A European mechanism to struggle U.S., gain economic autonomy

In their joint statement on that last day of January, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, and British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt introduced the SPV (a special purpose vehicle) also called INSTEX (Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges), the financial mechanism which enables Iran to keep doing business with the rest of the world despite the draconian financial sanctions imposed by the Trump administration.

Iran seeks speedy implementation of commitments as EU sets up payment channel with Iran

TEHRAN – The Foreign Ministry issued a statement of Thursday saying Tehran welcomes the European Union’s payments mechanisms to skirt the U.S. sanctions against Iran, yet it sought an immediate implementation of the payment channel.

Iran denies missile talks with France

TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi has denied any talks with France over Tehran’s missile program, calling claim of missile talks an “absolute lie”.

Tehran reiterates missiles are ‘non-negotiable’

TEHRAN – Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi has reiterated Iran’s firm stance on its missile program, saying the country’s missiles are “non-negotiable”.

Tehran hits back at French sanctions threats

TEHRAN – Iran has strongly criticized France for threatening Tehran with new sanctions over its missile program, vowing to reconsider its relations with European countries if such sanctions are imposed.

By staff and agency

EU says SPV to be launched ‘very soon’

The European Commission said it’s seeking to launch “very soon” a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to help European companies bypass U.S. sanctions on Iran.

European powers back Iran deal ahead of UN summit

TEHRAN – A number of European leaders have expressed support for the 2015 nuclear deal ahead of the United Nations General Assembly.

Mogherini, Le Drian meet Zarif in New York

TEHRAN – EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian separately met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in New York on Monday, IRNA reported.

By Hamid Bayati

Did Trump deceive Macron again?

Speaking at a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Vienna, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian's remarks on the necessity of holding missile and regional negotiations with Iran surprised many of his addressees!