Macron sparks confusion after inviting Iran's foreign minister to G7 summit

[TomSea]

Macron sparks confusion after inviting Iran's foreign minister to G7 summit
Analysis by Nic Robertson, CNN
Updated 5:53 PM ET, Sun August 25, 2019

Biarritz, France (CNN)When Iran's Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, landed in Biarritz Sunday afternoon it appeared France's Emmanuel Macron, this year's G7 host, had pulled off an end run around his most powerful guest, US President Donald Trump.

For weeks Macron has been pushing Trump to soften his stance on Iran, and Trump has pushed back, last month tweeting: "I know Emmanuel means well, as do all others, but nobody speaks for the United States but the United States itself."

In May last year Trump unilaterally pulled the USA out of the multilateral Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal with Iran, and this year ratcheted up sanctions on the Middle East nation to create "maximum pressure" to have it dial back its "destabilizing" regional activities.

Read more at: https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/25/politics/g7-iran-zarif-france-intl/index.html

[TomSea]

Posted on August 25, 2019 by Paul Mirengoff in France, Iran
Macron’s Iran stunt

French president Emmanuel Macron invited Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, to Biarritz, France, where the G-7 summit is convened. Zarif reportedly met for several hours with Macron, his foreign minister, and diplomats from Great Britain and Germany.

Macron’s stunt didn’t just catch President Trump off guard. At least some leaders of other G-7 nations apparently weren’t told in advance about Zarif’s visit, either.

Macron disagrees with the Trump administration’s tough policies towards Iran, and that’s okay. He also wants to promote dialogue with the mullahs, and that’s okay too.

More at: https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/08/macrons-iran-stunt.php