Iran blames Israel for tougher French approach

Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Sep. 24 – Iran’s state-run media have lashed out at France for “caving in” to Israeli pressure to take a forceful stance against the Islamic Republic’s suspected nuclear weapons programme. Iran Focus

Tehran, Iran, Sep. 24 – Iran’s state-run media have lashed out at France for “caving in” to Israeli pressure to take a forceful stance against the Islamic Republic’s suspected nuclear weapons programme.

On Saturday, the government-run website Baztab took a swipe at recent hard-hitting comments by French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy who had threatened to refer Tehran’s nuclear file to the United Nations Security Council if Iran continued its nuclear fuel cycle activities.

“Last month, among the Western nations, after America, the French government made the most remarks about Iran’s nuclear dossier and it has tried the most to refer Iran’s nuclear file to the Security Council”, Baztab wrote.

It added that another indication of the hardened French position on Iran was the constant reference by the French press to Iran as “the mullahs’ regime”.

Baztab said that the recent surge in pressure on Tehran by the French government came after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s originally unannounced trip to Paris on July 27, when he met with French President Jacques Chirac as well as the French Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.

“Jacques Chirac announced that this trip was for dialogue regarding Syria, Lebanon, and Iran, however at the time there had not been any special occurrences in Lebanon or Syria which would require the trip by the Israeli Prime Minister to France, and the only important issue at the time was the European [nuclear”> proposals to Iran”.

The government-run website added that during the trip, Sharon angrily declared to Chirac, “Are you our friend or enemy?”

“Following this complaint, the proposals were completely thrown out and new proposals were hastily prepared and handed to Iran”.

The United States took the unusual step recently of publicly thanking the French government for its tough stance on Iran’s nuclear programme.