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Trump accuses France's Macron of sending 'mixed signals' to Iran

August 9, 2019 at 4:29 am

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) and US President Donald Trump (R) at the G20 leaders summit in Hamburg, Germany on 7 July 2017[Michele Tantussi/Anadolu Agency]

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said no one is authorized to speak to Iran on behalf of the United States, and he accused French President Emmanuel Macron of sending “mixed signals” to Tehran over possible talks, Reuters reports.

“I know Emmanuel means well, as do all others, but nobody speaks for the United States but the United States itself,” Trump said in a series of tweets.

It was not immediately clear what Trump was referring to and the White House declined to comment, but a report earlier this week said Macron had invited Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to this month’s G7 summit to meet Trump. A French diplomat denied the report on Wednesday.

Read: Erdogan says Trump will not allow ties to be held ‘captive’ to S-400 row

European leaders are seeking to defuse the brewing confrontation between Tehran and Washington after Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear last year and renewed sanctions in an effort to push a new deal under the US Republican president.

Tehran has responded with a series of moves, including seizing a British tanker in the Gulf and retreating from some of its commitments to limit its nuclear activity made under the deal.

The crisis is expected to be a focus at the G7 summit later this month. Trump and his administration officials have previously said Trump is open to talks with Iran and that the United States does not want war with Iran.