France strongly condemns Israeli strikes on Lebanon, Macron says
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In a recent meeting on the sidelines of the 79th UNGA summit in New York, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed strong condemnation of the ongoing aggression against Lebanon.
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French President Emmanuel Macron reviews troops that will take part in the Bastille Day Parade on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Paris. (AP)
During a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that France "strongly condemns the aggression against Lebanon" and has made extensive efforts to apply pressure to halt it.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly summit in New York on Wednesday.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that France could play a more significant role in stopping the actions of the "Zionist regime".
He remarked, "Today, the people of Iran and the region are severely affected by the crimes of the Zionist regime, and the continuation of these crimes can get the situation out of control."
Macron also called for the release of three French citizens held by Iran due to their involvement in the 2022 riots. It is worth noting that this meeting marks the first encounter between Pezeshkian and Macron.
Iran's new president accused "Israel" of wanting regional conflict on Monday as he urged the West to hold negotiations on sensitive issues.
President Masoud Pezeshkian was visiting the United Nations as "Israel" increased its strikes in Lebanon.
Pezeshkian told a roundtable of journalists in New York that "Israel" is attempting to provoke a larger war, explaining that "We know more than anyone else that if a larger war were to erupt in the Middle East, it will not benefit anyone throughout the world. It is Israel that seeks to create this wider conflict."
Pezeshkian alluded to "Israel's" assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and expressed that the West urged Iran not to respond, stressing, "We tried to not respond. They kept telling us we are within reach of peace, perhaps in a week or so."
"But we never reached that elusive peace. Every day Israel is committing more atrocities and killing more and more people – old, young, men, women, children, hospitals, other facilities," Pezeshkian stressed.
"We always keep hearing, well, Hezbollah fired a rocket. If Hezbollah didn't even do that minimum, who would defend them?" he stated. "We keep being labeled as the perpetrators of insecurity. But look at the situation for where it is."
Pezeshkian accused Western powers of having double standards, claiming that violence "by one side is legitimate self-defense but it's terrorism and murder by the other."
