Iranian, French presidents call for dialogue on reviving nuclear talks

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday highlighted in a phone call the importance of dialogue in addressing differences and resolving misunderstandings regarding the Iranian nuclear negotiations.

According to a statement published by Pezeshkian's office, the Iranian president said his country has always welcomed dialogue and engagement, urging the Western side to "respect Iran's rights" and refrain from seeking to impose what he called "excessive demands."

"It is the turn of the United States and Europe to gain Iran's trust through proving their sincerity," he said.

Pezeshkian also noted that Iran has come under increasing pressure and sanctions based on a "biased" insistence and the "false" pretext that Tehran is attempting to make nuclear weapons.

The French president, for his part, said he would work to create a new negotiation framework aimed at paving the way for a clear agreement between Iran and the Western states.

"It is essential that our interactions and dialogue continue to create transparency and build trust so that we can reach an agreement and, while lifting sanctions (on Iran), improve and expand bilateral relations," he stressed.

Iran signed a nuclear deal with six world powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States -- in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions. The United States pulled out of the deal in May 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran to scale back its commitments under the agreement.

Iran has over the past months held several rounds of talks with the United States and the three European countries of France, Britain and Germany, collectively known as the E3, on its nuclear program and the removal of U.S. sanctions. Despite these diplomatic efforts, U.S. forces conducted airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities on June 22, while the E3 invoked the "snapback" mechanism in late August, paving the way for the reimposition of UN sanctions on Tehran in late September.