BIARRITZ, France — A top French official says French President Emmanuel Macron made the decision to invite Iran’s top diplomat to Biarritz after the dinner among G-7 leaders of the world’s major democracies.
The Saturday night dinner involved tense exchanges over how to deal with Iran’s nuclear ambitions since US President Donald Trump withdrew from Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal. Macron had met just Friday with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and decided to invite him to France again, this time to Biarritz.
The official doesn’t rule out another meeting between Macron and Zarif, who is speaking today with France’s foreign minister. Asked about a possible meeting between Trump and the Iranian, who faces US sanctions, the official says, “not at this stage.” The official speaks on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive decision.
Likewise, US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin doesn’t rule out anything, saying Trump had not “set preconditions” to negotiations with Iran.
— AP
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