French set for ballistic missile talks

France’s foreign minister arrived in Tehran yesterday for meetings with the country’s president and his Iranian counterpart, with talks likely to focus on Syria’s years long war and French criticism of Iran’s ballistic missile programme. Jean-yves Le Drian’s one-day trip highlights the balancing act Paris finds itself in after Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

While leaders, including President Emmanuel Macron, have criticised Iran’s missile programme, French companies like oil giant Total SA have entered the Iranian market after the atomic accord, complicating possible sanctions.