Rouhani Speaks To Macron As Pressure For Iran-US Meeting Grows

Abas Aslani at the Center for Middle East Strategic Studies tweets: "Iran president @HassanRouhani had a phone conversation with president of #France @EmmanuelMacron today on Tuesday. Macron is the second E3 leader to contact Iranian president since Biden taking office in the US. Earlier, on Feb 17, German Chancellor Merkel had contacted Rouhani."

• With two of the three E3 nation state leaders having talked to Rouhani in short notice (as well as European Council President Charles Michel), there is clearly growing diplomatic pressure within Europe to have Iranian and US officials at the same table to discuss the nuclear deal.
• However, for all the talking between European and Iranian leaders, the key player is US President Joe Biden. Without his say-so there will be no change to the status quo, with the US currently not a signatory of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA).