French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Iran’s new president to Masoud Pezeshkianto de-escalate the situation in the Middle East.
Macron called on Pezeshkian to do everything possible to prevent further military escalation, which would benefit no one, not even Iran, and would cause lasting damage to regional stability, Macron’s office, the Élysée, said Wednesday night.
There are fears of a military attack by Iran and its allies on Israel.
In the phone call with Pezeshkian, Macron said Iran must call on the destabilizing actors it supports to show maximum restraint to avoid a widespread conflict. Macron stressed the importance of moving away from the logic of retaliation and instead protecting civilians, the Élysée Palace said.
Furthermore, Macron reiterated the French position on an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and a firm rejection of any escalation with Lebanon.
Macron stressed France’s commitment to working towards a credible political framework for peace and security in the region, provided Iran abides by its international obligations, the Élysée said.
Tehran had announced a “severe punishment” for Israel after the top leader of the Palestinian militant organization Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, was deliberately assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran a week ago. Iran and Hamas hold Israel responsible for the attack.
