French Foreign Ministry: Iran has to take necessary steps to deescalate tensions

The French Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that Iran has to take the necessary steps to deescalate tensions, adding that talks with the Iranian deputy foreign minister served as a reminder to Tehran to return to the nuclear deal.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that Tehran will secure the Strait of Hormuz and not allow any disturbance in shipping in the key oil transport waterway, during his visit to Paris, the state news agency IRNA said.

“Iran will use its best efforts to secure the region, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, and will not allow any disturbance in shipping in this sensitive area,” Araqchi told French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, IRNA reported.

Araqchi met French President Emmanuel Macron and delivered a message to him from President Hassan Rouhani, IRNA said.

Almost a fifth of the oil consumed globally passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

Washington proposed on July 9 stepping up efforts to safeguard strategic waters off Iran and Yemen where it blames
Iran and its proxies for recent tanker attacks. Iran denies the charges.

“This is the opposite of the American initiative which is about maximum pressure to make Iran go back on a certain number of objectives,” Le Drian said.