Latest news with #Jean-NoëlBarrot
Mint
9 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
Iran Meets UK, France and Germany for Nuclear Talks
(Bloomberg) -- Iranian and European officials held nuclear talks in Istanbul on Friday as tensions simmer over Tehran's nuclear program after it was targeted by a US military strike last month. Diplomats from the Islamic Republic met with counterparts from the UK, France and Germany — the so-called E3 bloc of top European economies — at around 10:30 a.m. local time to try and ease a standoff over Iran's atomic activities. The talks come about a month after the US bombed three key nuclear sites in Iran, triggering a break in international inspections of its atomic activities and raising questions over the whereabouts of its stockpile of enriched uranium. The strike also derailed separate nuclear negotiations between the Islamic Republic and the Trump administration. The E3 helped broker a 2015 nuclear deal — known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — with Iran that imposed strict limits on Tehran's atomic work in exchange for sanctions relief. Friday's talks are important because they could delay any effort by the Europeans to 'snap back' broad United Nations sanctions that were lifted as part of that accord. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot last week announced the possibility of reimposing the sanctions by the end of August if Iran fails to reach a deal limiting its nuclear program. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that the E3 has lost any right to invoke the JCPOA's snapback mechanism, which expires in October, because it failed to meet its own obligations under the agreement after US President Donald Trump withdrew from it seven years ago. On Wednesday, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister said Tehran has 'not ruled out' withdrawing from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons if the UN were to reimpose sanctions. 'That's still on the table,' Kazem Gharibabadi, who's attending the Istanbul talks, told reporters. 'I'm quite confident that if the snapback is triggered, Iran will not show more restraint in this regard,' he said. --With assistance from Patrick Sykes. (Updates lead to reflect talks have started.) More stories like this are available on
Asharq Al-Awsat
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Preparations Underway for Two-State Solution Conference at UN Headquarters Next Week
Diplomatic preparations are intensifying ahead of next week's high-level ministerial conference on the two-state solution, to be held at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The conference, co-chaired by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, marks a joint Franco-Saudi initiative aimed at reviving momentum toward Israeli-Palestinian peace. A French diplomatic source described the event as a first step in what is intended to become a broader process, paving the way for potential recognition of a Palestinian state. According to the source, France views September as a timely window for such recognition, aligning with the UN General Assembly's high-level meetings. Scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, the conference will feature speeches from UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa. It is seen as a prelude to a larger international conference expected to take place either in Paris or on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly's 80th session. The French official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the initiative comes amid what he called the most serious threat to the two-state solution since the Oslo Accords. He pointed to the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attack, the resulting escalation, and ongoing violence in the West Bank, including rising settler activity, as key obstacles to peace. Despite the devastation, he stressed that Gaza must remain part of the final solution. The conference will focus on four core tracks, or 'baskets,' to help overcome barriers to implementing a two-state outcome. The first includes diplomatic recognition of Palestine by states that have not yet done so, including France. Paris, the source noted, is working to build collective momentum around formal recognition. The second track involves Arab and Islamic nations committing to normalize relations with Israel, contingent on progress toward Palestinian statehood. This normalization is seen as a catalyst for broader regional cooperation. The third component centers on reforming Palestinian governance. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has reportedly conveyed unprecedented commitments to the conference, including condemnation of Hamas' October 7 actions, calls for unconditional release of all hostages, and a pledge to establish a demilitarized Palestinian state. The fourth and final basket concerns the disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from future Palestinian governance - a measure deemed essential for long-term Israeli security and the viability of a two-state arrangement. The conference will also review proposals developed by nine working groups and 18 co-chairs, with follow-up events expected in Paris or New York this September.
L'Orient-Le Jour
19 hours ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
France and Saudi Arabia prepare international conference in New York at end of July for Palestinian-Israeli conflict
During a meeting in Paris, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, announced the organization of an international conference aimed at promoting the two-state solution as a means to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to a joint statement released by media outlets in Lebanon and the Gulf. "The two ministers discussed preparations for this international conference, scheduled for New York from July 28 to 30 under the joint sponsorship of France and Saudi Arabia," the statement said. "They expressed hope that this conference will yield tangible results to improve peace and security in the region. They also reaffirmed their support for the efforts of mediator countries — Egypt, Qatar and the United States — to achieve a lasting cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages, emphasizing the need to ensure the passage and distribution of humanitarian aid." Lebanon, Syria, Iran A previous international conference on the same topic was supposed to take place at the U.N. headquarters in June and was expected to be a historic turning point before being abruptly canceled due to the regional escalation sparked by Israeli strikes against Iran. Diplomatic sources said in mid-July that the conference was postponed to the end of the same month. However, it is not certain if this new conference will have the same scope as initially planned. 59,587 Palestinians have been killed and 143,498 wounded by Israel since the beginning of the war triggered by Hamas's offensive, which killed 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023, on Israeli territory. More than 100 humanitarian and human rights organizations warned Wednesday that "mass famine" was spreading in Gaza, as the United States announced it was sending its top envoy to Europe for discussions on a possible cease-fire and aid corridor. In their statement, the French and Saudi ministers also addressed the Lebanese issue, stressing "the importance of respecting the cease-fire" reached at the end of November between Israel and Hezbollah, now weakened by numerous violations, mostly by Israel. They also reaffirmed their support for Lebanese authorities for the implementation of urgent reforms – as Lebanon is in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a financial assistance program – and for strengthening the sovereignty of the state, which notably involves the disarmament of militias, including Hezbollah. This issue is being closely monitored by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, who was in Beirut at the start of the week. The two diplomats also discussed the Syrian issue and intercommunal violence in Sweida, calling for respect of the cease-fire concluded on July 19. They emphasized the need to "protect civilians" and to sanction the perpetrators of abuses against them, in accordance with commitments made in the joint declaration adopted at the Paris Conference on Syria on Feb. 13, 2025. More than 1,300 people were killed in a week during clashes between Druze armed groups and Sunni Bedouin tribes. Finally, the two ministers urged Iran to resume cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as Tehran officially cut off relations with the organization at the start of the month in the wake of the war with Israel. Iran reaffirmed this week its right to enrich uranium before talks Friday with the European Union.
LeMonde
2 days ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
Gaza: France's unspoken diplomatic resignation in the face of massacres and famine
Is indignation France's only weapon? On Tuesday, July 22, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot once again expressed outrage over the massacres taking place in the Gaza Strip, calling the "new ground offensive" launched by the Israeli army around Deir al-Balah, in the center of the territory, just hours beforehand, "deplorable." Speaking on the radio station France Inter, Barrot also condemned the way Israel has instrumentalized humanitarian aid within the Palestinian enclave through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which he said led to a "bloodbath." "About 900 people" were killed, he said, "as they went to collect a bag of flour and were targeted while in food lines." "I demand that the free and independent press be allowed access to Gaza, to show what is happening there and be able to speak about it," he said. The day before, Agence France-Presse (AFP) had spoken out about the fate of its local collaborators there, warning about the threat of famine devastating the enclave. "Since AFP was founded in August 1944, some of our journalists were killed in conflict (...) but there is no record of us ever having to watch our colleagues starving to death," AFP's journalists' association wrote in a statement published on Monday.
LeMonde
3 days ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
French foreign minister urges Israel to let foreign press into Gaza
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Tuesday, July 22, urged Israel to allow foreign press into the besieged Palestinian territory of Gaza, as warnings of famine mount after 21 months of war. "I ask that the free and independent press be allowed to access Gaza to show what is happening there and to bear witness," he told France Inter radio in an interview from eastern Ukraine. He spoke after Agence France-Presse (AFP) warned that the lives of Palestinian freelance journalists it was working with in Gaza were in danger and urged Israel to allow them and their families to leave the occupied coastal territory. Asked if France would help evacuate these stringers, Barrot said France was "addressing the issue." "We hope to be able to evacuate some collaborators of journalists in the coming weeks," he said. On Monday, AFP's internal journalists' union, the Société des Journalists (SDJ), sounded the alarm, urging "immediate intervention" to help reporters working with the agency in Gaza. The SDJ cited the example of one such freelancer, a 30-year-old living with his family in Gaza City, who reported on Sunday that his older brother "fell because of hunger." AFP responded in a statement posted on X and Instagram. "Since October 7, Israel has prohibited access to the Gaza Strip for all international journalists. "In this context, the work of our Palestinian freelancers is crucial to inform the world," it said. "But their lives are in danger, which is why we urge the Israeli authorities to allow their immediate evacuation along with their families." AFP evacuated its eight staff members and families from Gaza between January and April 2024. Barrot urged an "immediate ceasefire" after Israel on Monday expanded military operations to the central city of Deir el-Balah. "There is no longer any justification for the Israeli army's military operations in Gaza," he said. "This is an offensive that will exacerbate an already catastrophic situation and cause new forced displacements of populations, which we condemn in the strongest terms."
