WANA (Dec 06) – The spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized the need for France to adopt an independent and constructive approach to contribute to global peace and stability.

 

Responding to questions from journalists regarding comments made by French President Emmanuel Macron in a regional newspaper interview, Esmail Baghaei said, “President Macron’s concerns about Iran’s missile capabilities or its peaceful nuclear activities lack any logical basis.”

 

Baghaei clarified that Iran’s missile capabilities fall within the framework of its defensive policies, designed to exercise its inherent right to legitimate defense against any aggression. He stated these measures are crucial for safeguarding Iran’s national security and ensuring regional peace and stability.

 

The spokesperson criticized France’s repeated and baseless concerns over Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, calling them hypocritical and unacceptable, especially coming from a country that possesses a significant arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. He highlighted Iran’s goodwill over the past two decades in addressing alleged concerns about its nuclear activities while pointing to the destructive behavior of European parties in this context. Baghaei stressed that France, as one of the three European members of the JCPOA, must be held accountable for its unfulfilled commitments and confrontational actions against Iran in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors.

 

He also noted France’s failure to take meaningful steps to counter Israel’s occupation and apartheid policies or to halt the genocide of Palestinians, underlining the international responsibilities of Paris. “The French president’s deflections cannot obscure the reality in West Asia: the main source of insecurity and instability in this region is the ongoing occupation and the ‘colonial erasure’ of Palestinians, which has persisted for eight decades with full support from the United States and some Western nations,” he said.

 

Baghaei concluded by advising French officials to adopt an independent and constructive approach that reflects France’s significant role in fostering global peace and stability. He urged them to avoid partisan stances that endorse occupation, genocide, impunity, and racism, all of which contravene international law.