France Warns of War with Iran

Outspoken response to a warning from Russia

(NEWSER) - In a cantankerous press conference today, President Bush warned that Iran risks starting World War III if it develops nuclear weapons. His remarks came as reporters sought his reaction to Vladimir Putin's comments, after meeting with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday, that the West should not only rule out military action against Iran, but stop talking about it, the New York Times reports. More»

(NEWSER) - The US wants to be a direct party to nuclear talks between Iran and the UN, CNN reports. Washington had stayed away from earlier negotiations because it has no diplomatic relationship with the country, but the State Department said today it had asked an EU official to invite Iran to a sit-down with the UN Security Council. Iran has not heeded UN demands that it halt enrichment of uranium, which it says it will use for civil purposes. More»

'Talk, talk and more talk' to stop Iranian nuke program, Kouchner urges

(NEWSER) - The French foreign minister has urged Israel not to launch an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, Reuters reports. "There are those" in Israel and the Israeli army "who are preparing for a military attack," Bernard Kouchner told an Israeli newspaper. "That's not the solution." Kouchner, in the Mideast to discuss peace, said the West should pursue "talk, talk," and consider further sanctions to persuade Iran to stop its nuclear program. More»

"Negotiate, negotiate," Kouchner now says after storm of criticism

(NEWSER) - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner yesterday backpedaled on comments he'd made threatening war with Iran if it didn't drop development of its nuclear program. "The worst situation would be war, and to avoid the worst, the French position is very clear: negotiate, negotiate, negotiate," he said after criticism from his own government and stinging blasts from Iran. More»

Sarko calls for more sanctions

(NEWSER) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy took a bead on Iran in his first major foreign policy speech yesterday, suggesting that if Iran's nuclear weapons program wasn't halted, bombing could be the only alternative. He called Iran's atomic ambitions "without doubt the most serious crisis that weighs today on the international scene.” More»