Reuters: Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned France’s charge d’affaires in Tehran on Wednesday to protest at recent comments by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, Iranian media said. TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned France’s charge d’affaires in Tehran on Wednesday to protest at recent comments by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, Iranian media said.
Kouchner last month sparked controversy by saying the world should prepare for a war with Iran. Iran’s Fars News Agency did not specifically mention this comment in its report on Wednesday, saying instead Kouchner had accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear bombs, a charge Tehran denies.
The Mehr news agency also reported on the French diplomat being summoned to the Foreign Ministry.
Kouchner has said his remarks about war were taken out of context, and he has repeatedly said since then that he wants a peaceful outcome to the standoff over Tehran’s atomic programme and is working on a diplomatic solution.
France and five other world powers agreed on Friday to delay toughening U.N. sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear programme until November at the earliest to wait for reports by U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei and European Union negotiator Javier Solana.
Iran rejects Western accusations it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons, saying its atomic programme is solely aimed at generating electricity so that it can export more of its oil and gas.
