Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, is expected in Paris this week for crucial talks with his French counterpart, Jean-Noël Barrot, as both countries navigate escalating tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme and sensitive diplomatic cases involving detained nationals.
The visit comes days after France backed a resolution urging Tehran to grant the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) full access to nuclear sites damaged during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June. The conflict, which briefly drew the United States into targeted strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, deepened long-standing suspicions over the state of Iran’s atomic programme.
In a statement on Tuesday, Iran’s foreign ministry confirmed that discussions in Paris will focus on nuclear issues, regional developments, and the case of Mahdieh Esfandiari — an Iranian citizen arrested in France earlier this year.
“The meeting will address the nuclear file, the case of Iranian national Mahdieh Esfandiari, as well as regional and international developments,” the ministry said.
Since the June conflict, Iran has barred IAEA inspectors from entering the bombed locations and formally scrapped a cooperation framework with the agency last week, citing “safety and security risks.”
Tehran had already declared the previous monitoring agreement invalid in October, after Britain, Germany, and France triggered the return of UN sanctions that were lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal — a move Araghchi recently said rendered talks with Europe “no longer useful.”
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Wednesday’s meeting is also expected to address the sensitive legal and diplomatic wrangling surrounding Esfandiari, 40, who was arrested in France in February on terrorism-related charges and granted bail in October. Discussions had been underway for a possible exchange involving French nationals Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, held in Iran for more than three years.
Earlier this month, Iran announced the conditional release of Kohler and Paris, who were immediately transferred to the French mission in Tehran while awaiting clearance to return home.
Araghchi’s visit marks an important diplomatic test for both sides, with nuclear oversight, regional stability, and stalled prisoner negotiations all converging into a single high-stakes engagement in Paris.