Following US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, French President Emmanuel Macron declares the strikes “genuinely effective” but warns that Iran’s potential withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) would be the “worst-case scenario.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated Thursday that recent American military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities were “genuinely effective,” yet he cautioned that the “worst-case scenario” would be Iran’s potential withdrawal from the global Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), AFP reported.
Speaking to journalists after an EU summit in Brussels, Macron emphasized the critical nature of maintaining the treaty, designed to curb the spread of nuclear weapons.
“The worst would be that the consequence of this is Iran’s exit from the Non-Proliferation Treaty and therefore, ultimately, a drift and a collective weakening,” Macron asserted.
In a diplomatic effort to uphold the NPT, Macron announced his intention to engage in discussions with the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council in the coming days. These talks have already commenced, with Macron revealing a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Thursday. During the call, Macron informed President Trump of recent contacts between Paris and Tehran in “the last few days and hours.”
“Our hope is that there will be a real convergence of views,” Macron stated, adding that the objective was “that there should be no resumption” of nuclear buildup by Iran.
Iran ratified the NPT in 1970, a commitment that obligates it to declare its nuclear material to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). However, Tehran has recently indicated preparations for a potential withdrawal from the treaty, accusing the IAEA of acting as a “partner” in what it terms Israel’s “war of aggression.”
Iran’s Parliament on Wednesday approved a bill to suspend cooperation with the IAEA. The Iranian government contends that a resolution passed earlier this month by the board of the UN watchdog, which declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations, paved the way for the recent Israeli strikes.
The US strikes last weekend involved American B-2 bombers targeting two Iranian nuclear sites with GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs, while a guided missile submarine launched Tomahawk cruise missiles at a third site.
President Trump lauded the strikes as a “spectacular military success,” repeatedly claiming they “obliterated” the nuclear sites.
US media outlets earlier this week reported, citing a preliminary American intelligence assessment, that the strikes only set back Iran’s nuclear program by a matter of months.
US President Donald Trump rejected the reports and stated that Iran’s facilities were “obliterated,” a stance echoed by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt. Gen. Dan Caine also held a briefing on Thursday to counter doubts about the strikes’ impact.
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