France’s foreign minister criticized Iran’s regional activities, saying Paris could not accept Tehran’s alleged military expansion to the Mediterranean. Speaking in a recent interview with France 2 television, Jean-Yves Le Drian also said it was time for Moscow and Tehran to work with the UN Security Council to end the over six-year-old conflict in Syria, Reuters reported. “The Iranian presence and the desire to make an axis from the Mediterranean to Tehran, (I say) no!” Le Drian contended. Some Arab leaders claim that by fighting the self-styled Islamic State and supporting Syria militarily, Iran is projecting its power across Iraq and Syria to Lebanon, creating an arc of regional influence stretching from the Afghan border to the Mediterranean. Tensions between Iran and France have increased in recent weeks after French President Emmanuel Macron said Tehran should be less aggressive in the region and clarify its ballistic missile program. Iran has urged European countries not to be influenced by US President Donald Trump’s confrontational policy toward Tehran. “The main actors in this affair [Syria] are Russia and Iran. They need to use their weight to lead a political solution with the other members of the Security Council,” Drian said.
