France seeks Europe-led negotiations to defuse Iran-Israel crisis

France is pushing for a diplomatic solution to the conflict between Israel and Iran, in coordination with Germany and Britain, as fears of all-out war grow.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told parliament on Tuesday that negotiations are the only viable path to reversing Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes - just as they were during the nuclear deal struck a decade ago.

"That is why we are calling for restraint, de-escalation, and an end to strikes on both sides," Barrot said. "And we are calling for a return to negotiations." He added that he had conveyed this message to his Iranian, Israeli and US counterparts.

Barrot stressed that the European parties that helped secure the 2015 nuclear agreement — France, Germany and Britain — are once again ready to play a constructive role.

"Just as as the French, Germans and British were the ones who found a solution 10 years ago, we are ready to contribute our expertise, our experience and our consistency to talks with the parties involved," he said.

In 2015, after protracted negotiations with world powers, Iran agreed to a deal that limited its nuclear programme. However, the US withdrew from the pact three years later during Donald Trump's first term as president. He reimposed sweeping sanctions, severely weakening the deal.

According to officials in Paris, the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Britain jointly sent a message to Tehran overnight, urging Iran to return to the negotiating table without preconditions.