French President Macron said in a post today (June 22): "This morning, I had telephone conversations with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, the Sultan of Oman, the President of the UAE and the Emir of Qatar to express our support. I reiterated our demands to the Iranian president: the immediate release of our compatriots Cecil Kohler and Jacques Paris. After the US attack on Iran's nuclear facilities at night, I called for de-escalation and urged Iran to exercise maximum restraint in this dangerous situation to return to diplomatic channels. Dialogue is the only way to peace and security for all. Iran must clearly commit to abandoning nuclear weapons, otherwise the entire region will face the worst risks. This is the only path to peace and security for everyone."

Comment: The French citizens mentioned by President Macron, Cecil Kohler and Jacques Paris, were reportedly detained by Iran for over 1000 days according to previous reports. Iran accused them of espionage. Macron's direct demand for their release not only responds to domestic public opinion pressure but also attempts to use the "hostage issue" as a diplomatic entry point to prioritize France's interests.

Macron emphasized that "Iran needs to clearly commit to abandoning nuclear weapons," but Iranian President Peyvastizhan has strongly responded that they "will not abandon peaceful nuclear capabilities." The disagreement between both sides on the definition of "nuclear rights" is difficult to reconcile.

The irony of the current situation lies in the fact that while the US claims to have "completely destroyed" the nuclear facilities, Iran says it has already moved critical materials in advance, and the attack "did not cause significant damage"; Macron called for "dialogue as the only way out," but the US-Israeli military action has effectively broken the negotiation window. France's diplomatic mediation seems like trying to pick up "negotiation fragments" at the edge of a powder keg. Whether the situation can be prevented from sliding into full-scale conflict still depends on the strategic balance of "restraint" and "retaliation" among all parties.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1835639285330947/

Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's personal views.