During a telephone conversation with Iranian President Ebrahim Raissy on Saturday, Emmanuel Macron called on Iran to “immediately end its support” to Russia in the war in Ukraine by sending drones, the Elysee Palace reported.

The French head of state “warned of serious consequences for both security and humanitarian issues that Iran’s supply of drones to Russia may have, and called on Tehran to immediately stop supporting Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine,” reports AFP.

The two leaders “discussed how to develop relations, especially the ongoing negotiations (on the nuclear issue) and regional developments,” Mohammad Jamshidi, Raissi’s deputy chief of staff, said on Twitter.

The 90-minute phone call came about a month after the release of Frenchman Benjamin Brier, 37, who was jailed in May 2020, and Franco-Irish Bernard Phelan, 64, who was arrested on October 3, 2022.

They were released following the release of French-Iranian researcher Fariba Adelkha on February 10, although she is still unable to leave Iranian territory.

Raissi and Macron “agreed on a road map,” the Iranian official added, without giving further details.

Four other French nationals are still being held in Iran, including teacher Cécile Kohler and her partner Jacques Paris, arrested on May 7, 2022, and banking consultant Louis Arnaud, 35, arrested in September.

The identity and circumstances of the arrest of the fourth French citizen remain unknown.

On May 16, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna called for their “immediate and unconditional release.”

According to her, “35 people”, citizens of “twelve member states” of the European Union, are still imprisoned in Iran.

The conversation between the two presidents also comes at a time when negotiations between Iran and the international community on restoring the Iran nuclear deal have reached an impasse.

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