Ex-diplomat: Zarif carried Tehran's response to G7 summit

In an interview with ILNA, he pointed to importance of G7 summit, saying “In fact the world's leading leaders are attending in G7 and France president has already taken steps to ease tensions between Iran and US.”

“So Zarif carried Tehran's response to Macron's proposals because of French side wanted to get the answer as soon as possible and share it with the leaders of United Sates, Germany and Britain.

Asked about France's effort to relieve tension between Iran and the United States, the former ambassador said the France started acting to do so when Tehran decided to reduce its commitments to the July 2015 nuclear deal.

The 2015 deal between Iran and six world powers, reached under former U.S. President Barack Obama, aimed to curb Iran’s disputed uranium enrichment program in exchange for the lifting of many international sanctions on Tehran.

Asked about Trump’s reaction, the former diplomat said “we have to wait and see the result of Tehran's response and what the French president is going to do with the leaders of the G7.”

“I believe the Americans do not want to do anything about the French proposal and they are more focused on Japan recent efforts.”

In an interview with France 24 aired, zarif said, “We are making progress but we still need to move forward and President Macron still needs to talk to his European partners and others.”

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he would meet Iran’s president under the right circumstances to end a confrontation over a 2015 nuclear deal. But Trump, speaking at a G7 summit in the French resort of Biarritz, ruled out lifting economic sanctions to compensate for losses suffered by Iran.

French President Emmanuel Macron, host of the G7 summit, told the same news conference that Rouhani told him he would be open to meeting Trump. Macron said he hoped a summit between the two could happen in coming weeks. Trump and Rouhani head to the United Nations General Assembly in September.

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