Macron urges Iran to release French nationals, resume nuclear talks amid regional tensions
French President, Emmanuel Macron, has called on Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to immediately release two French citizens, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who have been detained in Iran for over three years.
In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday evening, Macron described the pair as “hostages of the Iranian regime” held in “unacceptable conditions.”
“I have just spoken with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian,” Macron wrote. “My first message was to demand the immediate release of our compatriots.”
Amid rising tensions in the Middle East, Macron also urged Iran to return to the negotiating table to resume talks over its nuclear program. He warned against any attacks on diplomatic facilities or foreign nationals in the region.
“In light of the serious risk of destabilization across the region, I called for our diplomatic facilities and nationals in Iran and the wider region not to be targeted under any circumstances,” he stated.
“I therefore invited President Pezeshkian to return swiftly to the negotiating table to reach an agreement — the only viable path to de-escalation. We stand ready to contribute and to mobilize all our efforts to achieve that goal.”
Macron’s remarks follow a series of Iranian missile strikes on Israeli territory on Friday and Saturday, which caused significant damage to homes and injured at least 21 people in Israel’s coastal plain, according to the country’s national emergency services.
