France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot warns that a military confrontation with Iran is “almost inevitable” if negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program fail. His remarks follow a high-level meeting on Iran chaired by President Macron.
France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot issued a stark warning on Wednesday, stating that a military confrontation with Iran would be “almost inevitable” should diplomatic efforts to curb Tehran’s nuclear program fail.
“In the event of failure, a military confrontation would appear to be almost inevitable,” Barrot told lawmakers in the French parliament, as quoted by AFP, emphasizing that such a scenario would lead to significant instability in the region.
The warning came after President Emmanuel Macron convened a high-level meeting to discuss France’s stance on Iran and the ongoing diplomatic efforts to prevent nuclear escalation.
It also comes as the international standoff over Iran’s nuclear ambitions continues. US President Donald Trump warned Iran earlier in the week that “if they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing — and it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.”
In response, Iran’s state-controlled Iranian newspaper Tehran Times wrote in a post on X that Iran’s missiles are “loaded onto launchers in all underground missile cities and are ready for launch.”
Later, Trump again threatened Iran, saying he could consider imposing secondary tariffs on Iran should the Islamic Republic fail to agree to a deal on its nuclear program.
On Monday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Trump against any attack on Iran, saying that if the US follows through on its threats, it will receive a “strong blow.”
Despite these tensions, Barrot stressed that diplomatic efforts remain France’s priority. “Our confidence and our conviction remain intact,” he stated. “Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons.”
“Our priority is to reach an agreement that verifiably and durably constrains the Iranian nuclear program,” he added, underlining France’s commitment to finding a peaceful resolution.
