Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian informed French President Emmanuel Macron that ending Israeli attacks on Lebanon was one of the conditions set by Tehran for the ceasefire agreement
ISTANBUL — France on Thursday said Lebanon must be included in any Middle East ceasefire arrangements and warned of growing security risks in the Strait of Hormuz and fragile regional stability.
Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin called for an immediate halt to Israeli strikes. “There must be a ceasefire on Lebanon,” she said in an interview with BFMTV-RMC.
“Yesterday was an absolutely dramatic day for Lebanon,” she added, referring to deadly Israeli attacks.
Vautrin said Lebanon cannot be left out of diplomatic efforts following the ceasefire announced between the United States and Iran. “Of course Lebanon is concerned,” she said, adding it “absolutely must be included” in the agreement.
She also pointed to uncertainty over maritime security. “I don’t know if the Strait of Hormuz is mined or not,” she said, referring to earlier claims by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
“It’s clear that the proposed route is at the very north of the strait, along the Iranian mainland … Given the information we have today, we can imagine it’s a way of controlling” crossings, she added.
Despite the tensions, Vautrin said France is not currently considering deploying naval forces. “As I speak to you, we are not at all talking about sending frigates,” she said, while noting that “nothing can be ruled out for demining.”
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot also stressed the need to stabilize Lebanon, saying France “strongly condemns” Israeli strikes.
“Today is a day of national mourning in Lebanon and we fully join in this,” he told France Inter, warning that Lebanon should not be sidelined amid broader geopolitical developments.
“Lebanon must not be the scapegoat for a disgruntled government because a ceasefire has been reached between the United States and Iran,” he said.
Barrot described the ceasefire as unstable, saying it is “very fragile” and that it is too early to speak of a post-war period. He added that upcoming peace negotiations are expected to be “difficult and demanding.”
“Clearly, ship traffic is not yet flowing smoothly” in the Strait of Hormuz, Barrot said, stressing that “freedom of navigation in international waters is a common good of humanity.”
He also rejected any proposal that would require ships to pay transit fees to Iran.
On Iran, Barrot reiterated France’s position that Tehran must “renounce the possession of a nuclear weapon and the means to acquire it,” as well as “renounce the use of its missiles and drones to threaten countries in the region.”
Ending Israeli attacks on Lebanon was one of the conditions for the ceasefire agreement, says Iranian President
ranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Wednesday that ending Israeli attacks on Lebanon was one of the conditions set by Tehran for the ceasefire agreement reached with the United States.
According to Iranian media, Pezeshkian made the remarks in a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron.
He said halting Israeli strikes on Lebanon was among the 10 conditions attached to the agreement with Washington.
Pezeshkian also stressed that France has an important role as one of the guarantors of the previous ceasefire in Lebanon.
The Iranian president said Tehran had acted responsibly by accepting the ceasefire proposal and had shown its willingness to achieve peace and stability in the region.
The two leaders spoke over the phone a day after the United States and Iran announced a ceasefire aimed at paving the way for a final deal to end a war launched by Washington and Tel Aviv against Tehran on Feb. 28.
Despite the two-week ceasefire agreement, the Israeli army launched a wide wave of airstrikes across Lebanon on Wednesday, killing at least 254 people and injuring 1,165 others, according to the Lebanese Civil Defense.
While Iranian and Pakistani officials said the agreement also included Lebanon, Israel insisted that Lebanon was not part of the ceasefire. — Anadolu Agency
