Macron to Pursue Iran-US Mediation

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday he wanted to play a mediatory role between Iran and the United States to ensure that Tehran was involved in finding a political solution in Syria. “If we don’t resolve the Syrian problem with Iran around the table, then we will not have an efficient response because Iran today is among the powers that have an influence on the ground,” Macron told a news conference, Reuters reported. Paris is trying to set up an international contact group on Syria to revive stalled peace talks in Geneva, Switzerland, but the United States has adopted a staunchly anti-Iran stance since Donald Trump became president, complicating peace talks between major powers. “Noting the US refusal today, I want that the contact group advances and that the United Nations and France can serve as intermediaries with Iran,” Macron said.