Latest news with #LaurentSaintMartin
Bloomberg
07-08-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
French Trade Figures Send ‘Warning Signal' to EU, Minister Says
France's trade minister said the latest export data are setting off alarm bells as US President Donald Trump's tariffs threaten the world economy. The amount of imported goods has jumped significantly and outpaced a slight increase in sales abroad, with the food-processing and pharmaceutical industries especially worrying, Laurent Saint-Martin said in response to new data Thursday.
France 24
07-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
France concerned over ‘worrying' disappearance of citizen in Iran
A French man has been missing in Iran since mid-June, France 's minister responsible for the country's residents abroad said on Monday, adding that Paris had no details on what had happened to the man. "It's a worrying disappearance and we are in contact with the family," Laurent Saint-Martin, who is also trade minister, told RTL radio. "It is worrying because Iran has a deliberate policy of taking Western hostages," he added. But Saint-Martin did not say specifically that the Iranian authorities were holding the man, who also has German nationality. French media reported that the man was an 18-year-old who had been on a cycling trip in the region but went missing a few days after Israeli planes struck targets in Iran. Separately, a diplomatic source said Iran has charged two French nationals - Jacques Paris and Cecile Kohler - with spying for Israel's Mossad intelligence service. The two have been held in Iran more than three years in what France has called state-sponsored hostage taking. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who spoke with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi on Sunday, made no mention in a statement of the missing teenager but demanded the "immediate and unconditional" release of Paris and Kohler. Kohler's sister on Sunday said that the two had been moved from Evin prison in Tehran after Israel bombed the site but that she had not been told where the two were now being held. Iran's Revolutionary Guards have detained dozens of foreign and dual nationals in recent years, often on espionage-related charges. Rights groups and Western countries accuse Tehran of using foreign detainees as bargaining chips, which it denies. France in May filed a case at the World Court against Iran for violating the right to consular protection, in a bid to pressure Tehran over the detention of its two citizens.
The National
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Frenchman missing in Iran for weeks gives rise to hostage concerns
A Frenchman has been missing in Iran since mid-June, France's minister responsible for the country's residents abroad said on Monday. Paris has no details on what has happened to the man, Laurent Saint-Martin, who is also trade minister, told RTL radio. "It's a worrying disappearance and we are in contact with the family. It is worrying because Iran has a deliberate policy of taking western hostages." Mr Saint-Martin did not say specifically that Iranian authorities are holding the man, who also holds German nationality. French media reported the man is an 18-year-old who was on a cycling trip in the region but went missing a few days after Israeli planes struck targets in Iran. Separately, a diplomatic source said Iran has charged two French citizens – Jacques Paris and Cecile Kohler – with spying for Israel's Mossad intelligence service. The two have been held in Iran more than three years in what France has called state-sponsored hostage taking. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, who spoke to his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Sunday, made no mention of the missing teenager but demanded the "immediate and unconditional" release of Mr Paris and Ms Kohler. Ms Kohler's sister on Sunday said the two had been moved from Evin prison in Tehran after Israel bombed the site but she did not know where they were now being held. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has detained dozens of foreign and dual citizens in recent years, often on espionage-related charges. Rights groups and western countries accuse Tehran of using foreign detainees as bargaining chips, which it denies. France in May filed a case at the World Court against Iran for violating the right to consular protection, in a bid to pressure Tehran over the detention of two of its citizens.
Al Arabiya
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
France concerned over citizen missing in Iran, minister says
A French man has been missing in Iran since mid-June, France's minister responsible for the country's residents abroad said on Monday, adding that Paris had no details on what had happened to the man. 'It's a worrying disappearance and we are in contact with the family,' Laurent Saint-Martin, who is also trade minister, told RTL radio. 'It is worrying because Iran has a deliberate policy of taking Western hostages,' he added. But Saint-Martin did not say specifically that the Iranian authorities were holding the man, who also has German nationality. French media reported that the man was an 18-year-old who had been on a cycling trip in the region but went missing a few days after Israeli planes struck targets in Iran. Separately, a diplomatic source said Iran has charged two French nationals - Jacques Paris and Cecile Kohler - with spying for Israel's Mossad intelligence service. The two have been held in Iran more than three years in what France has called state-sponsored hostage taking. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, who spoke with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Sunday, made no mention in a statement of the missing teenager but demanded the "immediate and unconditional" release of Paris and Kohler. Kohler's sister on Sunday said that the two had been moved from Evin prison in Tehran after Israel bombed the site but that she had not been told where the two were now being held. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have detained dozens of foreign and dual nationals in recent years, often on espionage-related charges. Rights groups and Western countries accuse Tehran of using foreign detainees as bargaining chips, which it denies. France in May filed a case at the World Court against Iran for violating the right to consular protection, in a bid to pressure Tehran over the detention of its two citizens.
Reuters
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
France concerned over citizen missing in Iran, minister says
PARIS, July 7 (Reuters) - A French man has been missing in Iran since mid-June, France's minister responsible for the country's residents abroad said on Monday, adding that Paris had no details on what had happened to the man. "It's a worrying disappearance and we are in contact with the family," Laurent Saint-Martin, who is also trade minister, told RTL radio. "It is worrying because Iran has a deliberate policy of taking Western hostages," he added. But Saint-Martin did not say specifically that the Iranian authorities were holding the man, who also has German nationality. French media reported that the man was an 18-year-old who had been on a cycling trip in the region but went missing a few days after Israeli planes struck targets in Iran. Separately, a diplomatic source said Iran has charged two French nationals - Jacques Paris and Cecile Kohler - with spying for Israel's Mossad intelligence service. The two have been held in Iran more than three years in what France has called state-sponsored hostage taking. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, who spoke with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi on Sunday, made no mention in a statement of the missing teenager but demanded the "immediate and unconditional" release of Paris and Kohler. Kohler's sister on Sunday said that the two had been moved from Evin prison in Tehran after Israel bombed the site but that she had not been told where the two were now being held. Iran's Revolutionary Guards have detained dozens of foreign and dual nationals in recent years, often on espionage-related charges. Rights groups and Western countries accuse Tehran of using foreign detainees as bargaining chips, which it denies. France in May filed a case at the World Court against Iran for violating the right to consular protection, in a bid to pressure Tehran over the detention of its two citizens.
