French President calls for dialogue, multilateralism on Iran

Speaking at the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, Macron credited the historic nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries in 2015 despite US President Donald Trump's withdrawal from it.

"What will bring a real solution to the situation in Iran and what has already stabilized it? The law of the strongest? Pressure from only one side? No!" the French leader said.

In his second address to the General Assembly, Trump urged the world to isolate Iran, accusing it of sponsoring terrorism and sowing "chaos, death and destruction," in the Middle East."We ask all nations to isolate Iran's regime as long as its aggression continues," the US president said. "They do not respect their neighbors or borders or the sovereign rights of nations."

Trump announced in May that Washington was pulling out of the nuclear agreement which lifted nuclear-related sanctions against Tehran in exchange for restrictions on Tehran's nuclear program. The deal had been signed between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China -- plus Germany in 2015.

The US administration reintroduced the previous sanctions while imposing new ones on the Islamic Republic. It also introduced punitive measures — known as secondary sanctions — against third countries doing business with Iran.

A first round of American sanctions took effect in August, targeting Iran's access to the US dollar, metals trading, coal, industrial software, and auto sector. A second round, forthcoming on November 4, will be targeting Iran’s oil sales and its Central Bank.

/SR