Emmanuel Macron meets new Iranian president amid Lebanon crisis

UNITED NATIONS: French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday met with Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, as Israel strikes Tehran’s ally Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Macron began talks with Pezeshkian, a self-styled reformist in a cleric-run state which Israel sees as its archenemy, on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly, an AFP photographer witnessed.

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Macron has already spoken twice by telephone with Pezeshkian as tensions rose between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militant movement backed by Iran.

On August 7, Macron urged the Iranian president to avoid reprisals and work to prevent a military escalation after Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh died in a presumed Israeli operation as he visited Tehran for Pezeshkian’s inauguration.

Pezeshkian on Monday cast Israel as seeking conflict, saying Iran held back on retaliating after Western powers spoke of progress in reaching a ceasefire in Gaza.