A senior French official says France invited Iran’s foreign minister to the venue of the G-7 summit to try to ease tensions over its nuclear program.
The official said the decision to invite Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday to the Group of Seven summit in Biarritz, France, came after the G-7 leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, gathered for dinner Saturday night.
Asked whether the White House was aware of the visit, the French official said “we operate on our own terms” but noted that Macron and Trump met for two hours yesterday and discussed Iran at length, as well as at the group dinner with other leaders.
The French official, who was not authorized to be named publicly, said that France considers it important to check in with Zarif to continue to bring positions closer together and de-escalate tensions.
The official said the Americans in Biarritz will not meet with Zarif, and that France “is working in full transparency with the U.S. and in full transparency with European partners.”
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