Araghchi criticizes Macron for shifting stance on Iran nuclear program

In a post on X on Thursday night, Iranian diplomat Seyed Abbas Araghchi criticized French President Emmanuel Macron for what he described as a flip-flop on Iran's nuclear program. Araghchi recalled Macron's firm stance before the US Congress in 2018, just before then-President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the nuclear agreement. At the time, Macron declared that "France won't leave the JCPOA, because we signed it." Today, however, Macron claims he has always opposed "any form of nuclear activity" in Iran, a position Araghchi described as inconsistent with the French leader's earlier public commitments.

The JCPOA, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, is the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, including France. The United States withdrew from the deal in 2018 under President Trump, while France remained a signatory. Macron's 2018 statement before the US Congress underscored France's commitment to the deal at that time.

Araghchi's remarks highlight the diplomatic tensions surrounding the nuclear agreement and the differing interpretations of commitments by signatories. The post on X serves as a public critique of Macron's current position, which Araghchi suggests contradicts France's earlier pledges.

According to Mehr News, Araghchi's post on X on Thursday night drew attention to the discrepancy between Macron's past and present statements on Iran's nuclear activities.