French foreign minister calls for de-escalation in phone call with Iranian counterpart

LONDON

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Wednesday called for de-escalation in the Middle East during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi.

"The minister condemned the Iranian strikes, reiterated France's commitment to the stability of the Middle East, to de-escalation and to the resumption of a demanding diplomatic dialogue, in compliance with international law which must govern the use of force," according to a French Foreign Ministry statement.

France also raised concerns about its citizens being held in Iran.

Jean-Noel Barrot expressed France's "constant concern" about the fate of "nationals detained in Iran" and called for their "immediate and unconditional release."

Israel and the US have continued a large-scale attack on Iran since Saturday, killing at least 926 people, including Khamenei and top military officials.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as Gulf countries that are home to US military assets.