France 'very concerned' for citizens held in Tehran prison hit by Israel

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00:00We can now bring in Christophe Lemoine, spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry.

00:04Thank you so much for joining us on the program today.

00:06I want to start with the latest.

00:08What is France's reaction to Israel targeting the Evin prison in Tehran,

00:12where we know government dissidents are imprisoned there

00:16and French nationals are being detained there?

00:18What is Paris's reaction?

00:20Well, indeed, there are two French hostages that are held in the Evin prison

00:24and, of course, the strikes on that prison are very worrying for us

00:28and we're very concerned about the fate of the two French citizens that are held here.

00:35It's a priority for us to obtain their release

00:40and that's what the President Macron said to his Iranian counterpart when they talked this weekend.

00:46There must be a release of these two persons that are innocents

00:50and we are fully in contact with their families

00:53and we follow the situation very closely.

00:56But, of course, the situation makes their fate more worrying today.

01:02Air France says it's suspending flights to Tel Aviv until the 14th of July.

01:06What plans are being put in place to bring back French citizens in Israel

01:10and also French citizens in Iran?

01:13Well, the ministry and particularly the crisis centre have thought through a plan

01:19to allow the French people being in Israel for those who want on a voluntary basis to return to Paris

01:25and there are two ways that are active, a way that is already active,

01:30which is commercial flights from Haman in Jordan to Paris

01:35and the first flight arrived yesterday in Paris

01:38and there will be another one today and there will be another one tomorrow.

01:41So, this is the first option and the most convenient option for those who can reach Amman

01:46and we are planning, and that's the second mean that we are deploying,

01:51we are planning to have military planes rotating from Tel Aviv to Cyprus

01:58for those that are in a particular situation of vulnerability,

02:01but all those flights are depending on Israeli authorisation

02:07because, you know, the airspace is closed

02:09and so we have to get a special clearance from the Israeli authorities.

02:14But as soon as we'll have the clearance, we'll be launching those flights.

02:18Last Friday, there were hopes that there still could be a diplomatic solution to this conflict.

02:25The French foreign minister along with the British and the German foreign minister

02:29and the EU foreign policy chief met in Geneva with Iran's foreign minister.

02:34What can you tell us about the proposals that were put forward to the Iranians

02:37because Tehran said those were unacceptable?

02:40Well, the point is there is no military solution to this nuclear crisis

02:45and that, I think, that's what the President of the Republic expressed

02:49and we are fully convinced that there is no way out uniquely on a military basis.

02:55So the point is to restart negotiation, to resume negotiation, to bring people back to the table.

03:01What was done in Geneva last Friday was the first attempt from the E3,

03:07those three European countries, to re-engage with Iran, to restart the negotiation

03:13because we are fully convinced that there cannot be any other solution than a diplomatic solution.

03:19And history shows that you cannot reach a sustainable and durable solution only with strikes and military operations.

03:28So that's what we are trying to re-engage and that's what, precisely, Minister Barraud just announced

03:34when he was in Brussels today for the Council.

03:37Was Paris notified about the U.S. strikes on Iran?

03:41Well, no, we...

03:44So you found out like the rest of us?

03:46No, it's just that the United States decided to launch those strikes

03:49and we were not involved in the planning and we were not involved into the strikes themselves.

03:56Germany's Chancellor Mertz has said there's no reason to criticize the U.S. strikes in Iran.

04:02I'm curious, what is France's position on the U.S.'s strikes on Iran?

04:07Well, again, I think France's position is very clear.

04:11The France position, and that's what the President of the Republic have said from the beginning,

04:17from the first strikes on Israel and Iran,

04:19this creates a situation of escalation which is very dangerous for the region, for those two countries,

04:27and that doesn't offer the proper framework for a sustainable solution and for a durable solution.

04:33So strikes are no use for a long-term and a long-lasting solution.

04:40Last week, when the G7 wrapped up, Emmanuel Macron was asked about the possibility of regime change

04:45and he cited the examples we've seen in Libya, for instance.

04:51Now, following the U.S. strikes, we had the U.S. President Donald Trump who said he put out a post last night on Truth Social

04:58talking about using the opportunity to make Iran great again and, if not, regime change.

05:03This is something the Israelis, too, have been toying with.

05:06Is France's position still vehemently opposed to any attempt to force regime change in the country,

05:12even though that striking the gates of Evin prison by the Israelis could be some sort of way to achieve that?

05:20Well, the position of the president was clear and he said, you know, on the longer perspective,

05:27you never reach a good regime change through exterior military operations.

05:32And he said it's always a strategic mistake.

05:36And I don't think what happened in the last days changed this.

05:40Again, on a long-term perspective, history shows that it's never a good idea.

05:47So the thing is, today, the main point with Iran is the nuclear program.

05:52That's the main issue.

05:54And that's an issue that should be tackled correctly through the negotiation, through diplomatic work.

06:00And that's the main central issue.

06:03Following from those discussions this past Friday,

06:06did the French foreign minister get a sense that the Iranians would be willing to return back

06:10to the negotiating table with the Europeans?

06:13Well, that's what, you know, the Iranian foreign ministry did last Friday.

06:17He reengaged in a negotiation with the three Europeans plus the EU high representative.

06:23That's what happened in Geneva last Friday.

06:25And that was the first attempt that was to kick off to restart the negotiation, to resume the negotiations.

06:31And that happened in Geneva.

06:34So, of course, restarting negotiation, it can be complicated because the situation has changed.

06:40And it has changed because of the strike of Israel on Iran.

06:43But it has also changed because of the behavior of Iran.

06:47But the main point is to resume the negotiation.

06:50And that happened in Geneva last Friday.

06:52But the calculus has also changed because of the U.S. strikes.

06:55Of course.

06:55But it doesn't, you know, refrain from keeping on promoting and advocating a diplomatic solution.

07:03Okay.

07:03So Paris still hopes that a diplomatic solution can be reached.

07:06Christophe, I have you here.

07:07The final question, and it's an important one, because as this war rages between Israel and Iran

07:15and the U.S. has gotten involved, we have the situation on the ground in Gaza that continues.

07:21Last month, we had the French president who went on television, and he said that what's

07:25happening in Gaza, Netanyahu's policy was shameful and unacceptable.

07:28These are the French president's words.

07:30France, Paris has been saying that they could mull some sort of action against Israel to pressure.

07:38We've seen how aid is being distributed now in Gaza.

07:42It's the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, this opaque, U.S.-backed private company, essentially,

07:47that is distributing aid every single day.

07:50There have been security issues.

07:53What is France's position?

07:54What is France doing to realistically pressure the Israeli government to get aid into Gaza

07:58in a proper and humane way?

08:01Well, you know, France's stance on this hasn't changed.

08:04And, of course, there might be less of Gaza at the moment because the situation has changed

08:09with the strikes of Israel and Iran.

08:11But the situation on the ground in Gaza is still horrendous.

08:15There are still problems.

08:16There are still, you know, humanitarian issues that are huge and that should be tackled.

08:21And what President Macron said a few weeks ago is still completely valid.

08:26We were supposed to organize this two-state conference in New York in June.

08:33This had to be postponed because, of course, you know, there is no way having a conference

08:37on Palestine without President Habas who couldn't leave Israel.

08:40So this conference is postponed.

08:42But this conference will take place because on this issue, again, there is a need to find

08:49a political solution.

08:50This is the only way out to offer both Palestinians and Israelis a safe and sure framework and a

08:57safe and sure situation where they can live next to each other.

09:01Again, on Gaza, there is no military solution.

09:05That doesn't make sense.

09:07So the stance of France hasn't changed.

09:09We're still very, very – we want to organize this conference that we co-chair with Saudi Arabia.

09:16It's just postponed, but it will take place.

09:18But that conference is not going to, unfortunately, improve the humanitarian situation on the ground.

09:22That is a whole package.

09:25There is – when, you know, considering Gaza, there is a need of a ceasefire.

09:29There is a need of a liberation of the hostages.

09:31There is a need of free access to humanitarian aid to Gaza.

09:37And that those are the first step that should be accomplished.

09:40And then there should be a discussion on a diplomatic solution and on a political solution that would

09:46lead to a two-state solution.

09:49Christophe LeMond, thank you so much.

09:50Thank you very much.

09:51Thank you very much.

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