Emmanuel Macron will meet Donald Trump on Monday carrying a message that the US must remain committed to a flawed nuclear deal with Iran because there is no “plan B”.
In an interview on the eve of his trip to Washington as the first foreign leader to be afforded a full state visit by the American president, the French president discussed his reputation as the “Trump whisperer” and his hopes for averting a trade war.
He also insisted the US was committed to rebuilding Syria, warning that Mr Turmp’s threatened withdraw could leave the door open to Iran to fill the void.
Iran and alliance-building are expected to dominate his meetings with an American president known for his unilateralist instincts.
In particular, officials say they will discuss Iran on Tuesday ahead of a May 12 deadline for Mr Trump to decide whether to reimpose sanctions and scuttle the Iran deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“What is the plan B? I don’t have any plan B for nuclear against Iran,” he said.
“My point is to say don’t leave now the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] as long as you don’t have a better option for nuclear and let’s complete it with ballistic missile and regional containment,” he said.
Mr Trump has repeatedly called it one of the worst deals ever negotiated and chafed at having to periodically endorse it. At the weekend the Iranian foreign minister threatened “drastic action” if the US withdrew.
“America never should have feared Iran producing a nuclear bomb, but we will pursue vigorously our nuclear enrichment,” he said in New York where he is attending a UN general assembly meeting.