PARIS: /DNA/ – French President Emmanuel Macron has revealed that he personally urged both US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to restart negotiations and ensure the fragile ceasefire fully extends to Lebanon. Macron described Lebanon’s inclusion as a “necessary condition” for the truce to be credible and lasting, amid ongoing Israeli strikes in the region.
During a phone call with Pezeshkian, the Iranian president told Macron that Europe can play a key role in pushing the United States to adhere to international law. Pezeshkian stressed that diplomacy remains the preferred path but criticised what he called “maximalist positions” and lack of goodwill from the US side during the recent Islamabad talks.
In a separate development, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced that her government is suspending the automatic renewal of its defence cooperation agreement with Israel, citing the current situation in the Middle East.
These diplomatic moves come as international efforts intensify to revive US-Iran talks in Islamabad and stabilise the region following the inconclusive first round of negotiations last weekend.
