France, UK, and Germany offer Iran deal to halt escalation with Israel
French President Emmanuel Macron (Getty Images)
France, Germany, and the United Kingdom are preparing a comprehensive diplomatic proposal for Iran that, in theory, should halt the escalation with Israel. The proposal will address Iran's nuclear and ballistic programs, as well as Tehran's proxy forces and its overall military capabilities, French President Emmanuel Macron said, AFP reports.
Macron announced that on June 20, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot would meet in Geneva with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, to deliver a full diplomatic and technical proposal for negotiations.
He added that Iran would need to demonstrate its readiness to join the negotiating platform being offered.
The President of France said that resuming substantive negotiations with Iran includes four proposals for Tehran:
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Complete cessation of uranium enrichment and restoration of IAEA operations with access to all Iranian nuclear facilities.
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Oversight of Iran's ballistic program.
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Termination of Iran's funding of terrorist groups in the region, i.e. Tehran's proxy forces (Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, pro-Iranian Shiites in Iraq, etc.).
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Release by Iran of all hostages — meaning foreign nationals imprisoned by the Iranian government.
Macron noted that the risk posed by an Iran possessing nuclear weapons must not be ignored.
The President of France stated that an armed Islamic Republic of Iran is an existential threat to Israel. At the same time, he criticized Israel for large-scale strikes that went beyond attacks on nuclear and ballistic infrastructure. Macron emphasized that it is impossible to neutralize Iran's nuclear threat by military means.
He added that he believed strikes on civilian infrastructure, energy facilities, and the civilian population should be halted immediately, as no objective could justify them.
Israel's strikes on Iran
Meanwhile, Israel is preparing to intensify strikes against Iran to destabilize the regime. Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to ramp up attacks in hopes of toppling the ayatollah regime.
On the night of 20 June, over 50 Israeli fighter jets struck Tehran, hitting several targets linked to Iran's military programs. One of the targets was the building of Iran's Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND).
