French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his disappointment to his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi at the lack of progress over talks on the 2015 nuclear agreement, the Elysee Palace said in a statement on Saturday.
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In June, Iran began removing essentially all the agency's monitoring equipment, installed under its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. The French leader urged Raisi to make a "clear choice" to reach a deal and go back to the implementation of Iran's commitments under the 2015 nuclear agreement, the Elysee Palace said.
Macron said he was convinced that such an outcome was still possible but that it should take place "as soon as possible," the French presidency said. Macron also urged the liberation of four French citizens that he said were "held arbitrarily" in Iran.
Tehran has rapidly grown its stockpile of near-weapons-grade nuclear fuel in recent months, spreading fears about an escalation. It also has spun more advanced centrifuges prohibited under the landmark atomic accord, which former President Donald Trump abandoned in 2018.
The Vienna nuclear talks aimed at restoring the deal have been on "pause" since March, despite efforts to hold additional negotiations in Doha in order to overcome the latest stumbling blocks. Those negotiations ended without success since the Iranians reportedly insisted that the US lift the terrorist designation of the Revolutionary Guards and secure economic benefits for Iran that are unrelated to the nuclear deal.
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