Macron proposes new Iran deal ahead of Trump deadline

French President Macron has set out his views on how the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran could be ‘fixed’ in a joint White House press conference with President Trump (24 April). Trump has set a deadline of 12 May for the other participants in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (‘JCPOA’) – the permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany and the EU – to review what he considers ‘the worst deal ever’. Under the JCPOA, Iran receives sanctions relief in exchange for a scaling back of nuclear capacity until 2025.

France, like the US, has expressed concern over Iran’s continuing ballistic missile development and support for President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria. In the press conference, President Macron proposed a ‘new deal’ with Iran, which blocks nuclear development by Iran beyond the current 2025 deadline in place under the JCPOA. He also wants to ‘put an end to the ballistic activities of Iran in the region’ and find a political solution to ‘contain’ Iran’s interference in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. Without revision to the scope of the JCPOA, there is a risk that the US will refuse to re-certify sanctions relief as required under the deal, or try to exit the JCPOA altogether.