"The worst would be that the consequence of this is Iran's exit from the Non-Proliferation Treaty and therefore, ultimately, a drift and a collective weakening," Macron told journalists after an EU summit in Brussels.
Macron said that in a bid to maintain the treaty -- that is meant to limit the spread of nuclear weapons -- he would speak in the coming days to the five members of the United Nations Security Council.
Those talks already kicked off with a call with President Donald Trump on Thursday in which Macron said he informed his US counterparts of contacts Paris had with Tehran in "the last few days and hours".
"Our hope is that there will be a real convergence of views," Macron said, adding that the aim was "that there should be no resumption" of nuclear buildup by Iran.
Iran ratified the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) in 1970, committing it to declare its nuclear material to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
But it has recently begun preparing the grounds for a possible withdrawal from the treaty, accusing the agency of acting as a "partner" in Israel's "war of aggression".
American B-2 bombers hit two Iranian nuclear sites with massive GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs last weekend, while a guided missile submarine struck a third site with Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Trump himself has called the strikes a "spectacular military success" and repeatedly said they "obliterated" the nuclear sites.
But US media revealed a preliminary American intelligence assessment earlier this week that said the strikes only set back Iran's nuclear program by months -- coverage sharply criticised by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and others.
Iraq arrests commentator over online post on Iran-Israel war
Baghdad (AFP) June 25, 2025 -
Iraqi authorities said they arrested a political commentator on Wednesday over a post alleging that a military radar system struck by a drone had been used to help Israel in its war against Iran.
After a court issued a warrant, the defence ministry said that Iraqi forces arrested Abbas al-Ardawi for sharing content online that included "incitement intended to insult and defame the security institution".
In a post on X, which was later deleted but has circulated on social media as a screenshot, Ardawi told his more than 90,000 followers that "a French radar in the Taji base served the Israeli aggression" and was eliminated.
Early Tuesday, hours before a ceasefire ended the 12-day Iran-Israel war, unidentified drones struck radar systems at two military bases in Taji, north of Baghdad, and in southern Iraq, officials have said.
The Taji base hosted US troops several years ago and was a frequent target of rocket attacks.
There has been no claim of responsibility for the latest drone attacks, which also struck radar systems at the Imam Ali airbase in Dhi Qar province.
A source close to Iran-backed groups in Iraq told AFP that the armed factions have nothing to do with the attacks.
Ardawi is seen as a supporter of Iran-aligned armed groups who had launched attack US forces in the region in the past, and of the pro-Tehran Coordination Framework, a powerful political coalition that holds a parliamentary majority.
The Iraqi defence ministry said that Ardawi's arrest was made on the instructions of the prime minister, who also serves as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, "not to show leniency towards anyone who endangers the security and stability of the country".
It added that while "the freedom of expression is a guaranteed right... it is restricted based on national security and the country's top interests."
Iran-backed groups have criticised US deployment in Iraq as part of an anti-jihadist coalition, saying the American forces allowed Israel to use Iraq's airspace.
The US-led coalition also includes French troops, who have been training Iraqi forces. There is no known French deployment at the Taji base.
The Iran-Israel war had forced Baghdad to close its airspace, before reopening on Tuesday shortly after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire.
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