Nuclear deal still possible, Macron tells Iranian counterpart

PARIS • French President Emmanuel Macron has told his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi that reviving the landmark 2015 deal on Teheran's nuclear capabilities was still possible but must happen as soon as possible.

Mr Macron on Saturday also "expressed his disappointment" at the absence of progress after the suspension of talks in Vienna, and underlined the need for Iran to return to the accord and implement its nuclear commitments, according to a French presidency statement.

Mr Macron's telephone call with Mr Raisi comes as negotiations in Vienna between Iran and world powers including the US have been stalled since March.

The 2015 deal aimed to prevent Iran from developing the capability to acquire an atomic bomb in exchange for lifting sanctions that have hobbled its economy. But former US president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew his country from the accord in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, leading Teheran to begin rolling back on its commitments.

Last month, Qatar hosted indirect talks between the US and Iran in a bid to restart the diplomatic efforts in Vienna, but discussions were interrupted after two days without a breakthrough.

The Iranian presidency said Mr Raisi "condemned the unconstructive positions and actions of the US and European countries" during his two-hour conversation with Mr Macron on Saturday.

Last week, an Iranian official said Teheran had the technical capacity to make a nuclear bomb but clarified that it had not decided to make any. The Iranian Foreign Ministry said there was "no change" in its nuclear policy, referring to an Islamic ruling that forbids "arms of mass destruction".

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE