The situation of three French citizens held in Iran is worsening with some being detained in conditions similar to torture, France's foreign minister said on Tuesday, adding that future ties and sanctions lifting would depend on their fate.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, Reuters/Remo Casilli
The situation of three French citizens held in Iran is worsening with some being detained in conditions similar to torture, France's foreign minister said on Tuesday, adding that future ties and sanctions lifting would depend on their fate.
"The situation of our compatriots held hostage in Iran is simply unacceptable; they have been unjustly detained for several years, in undignified conditions that, for some, fall within the definition of torture under international law," Jean-Noel Barrot told a conference of French ambassadors.
"I say to the Iranian authorities: our hostages must be released. Our bilateral relations and the future of sanctions depend on it."
Reporting by John Irish
Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned the visit of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem on Wednesday, calling it a provocation and denouncing what it referred to as “Israeli aggression” against the holy site.
Israel is reeling from a growing political scandal dubbed "Qatargate", involving close advisers to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accused of accepting funds from Qatar — a nation that plays a dual role as mediator in the Israel-Hamas conflict and host to Hamas leadership.
France's foreign minister warned on Wednesday that if world powers were unable to quickly reach a new agreement with Iran over its contested nuclear programme then a military confrontation seemed "almost inevitable".
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