The French presidency said in a statement that during the meeting, which was held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Macron “highlighted Iran’s responsibility to support a general calm and use its influence with destabilizing parties,” in a clear reference to Hezbollah, which is backed by Tehran.
The statement added that Macron warned Pezeshkian against providing military support to Moscow in its war against Ukraine after Western countries accused Iran of supplying Russia with missiles.
The statement said that Macron “warned the Iranian president against his country’s continued support for Russia’s aggressive war in Ukraine.”
On another note, Macron demanded that his Iranian counterpart release “without delay” the three French nationals “arbitrarily held hostage in Iranian prisons for two years.”
The statement quoted Macron as expressing his regret over their “inappropriate” detention conditions, reiterating that their freedom is “a prerequisite for any improvement in bilateral relations with France.”
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib announced on Tuesday that the number of Lebanese displaced due to the current escalation between Israel and Hezbollah is “approaching half a million” displaced persons.
For his part, Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad reported on Tuesday that the death toll from Israeli raids on southern and eastern Lebanon had risen to 558, with more than 1,800 wounded, including 50 children and 94 women, the highest toll recorded in a single day since the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
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