Iran appears to be on a collision course with the West over its nuclear program, France warned on Wednesday, making war “almost inevitable” should the latest bid to reboot nuclear deal talks fail.
French President Emmanuel Macron called a special cabinet meeting on Wednesday to discuss rising tensions between the United States and Iran, after Tehran refused President Donald Trump’s March letter calling for direct talks between the two countries to reach a new nuclear deal.
During the meeting, ministers heard testimony from experts on the prospects of a diplomatic resolution to the brewing crisis, as well as alternative possible scenarios.
Afterwards, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told lawmakers that the odds of a “military confrontation” between the U.S. and Iran are rising and that a conflict is “almost inevitable” should the attempt to restart nuclear talks fail.
“In the event of failure, a military confrontation would appear to be almost inevitable,” Barrot said in parliament, according to a report by AFP.
This week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian informed his government that he had rejected an overture by President Donald Trump, in a letter delivered to Tehran via Oman last month calling for direct talks to reach a new agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.
Hours later, Trump threatened to impose secondary tariffs on Iran and even to carry out airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities should no deal be reached.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded with threats of his own, warning that Iran would strike Israel and the U.S. in the event of an attack on its nuclear facilities.
Amid the rising tensions, the U.S. has deployed additional assets within striking distance of Iran, including at least six B-2 Spirit stealth bombers that were dispatched to a base on Diego Garcia Island in the Indian Ocean.
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