A response to two Tweets, in which US President Donald Trump accused his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron of meddling in the dispute between Washington and Tehran, came on Friday from France’s Foreign Minister.
In a tweet Thursday, Trump claimed that Iranian officials want "desperately to talk to the US, but are given mixed signals from all of those purporting to represent us, including President Macron of France."
"I know Emmanuel means well, as do all others, but nobody speaks for the United States but the United States itself. No one is authorized in any way, shape, or form, to represent us!" he said in another tweet.
But French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian responded Friday, saying in a statement that Paris "needs no permission" to work towards easing tensions between Iran and the US.
"On Iran, France speaks with complete sovereignty. It is working hard for peace and security in the region, it is working to facilitate a de-escalation in tensions and it needs no permission to do so," Le Drian said.
Trump has taken a previous swipe on Twitter at his French counterpart, vexing him.
In response to a law passed in France that will require American tech giants to pay higher taxes, the US president said last month: “We will announce a substantial reciprocal action on Macron’s foolishness shortly.”
Paris fears that the “renewed” diplomatic tension between the two leaders would have negative repercussions on the G7 meeting that is scheduled to be held in the southwestern French town of Biarritz at the end of August, well-informed sources said.
The nuclear deal with Iran and the security of the Gulf are to be discussed by the G7 leaders.
Trump has reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran after pulling out of the 2015 nuclear agreement aimed at curbing the country's nuclear ambitions.
But the European partners to the accord, including France, have resisted his attempts to isolate the Iranians.
Le Drian said Friday that the worsening tensions between Tehran and Washington, called for initiatives to try to restore dialogue.
"That's what President Macron is doing, in full transparency with our partners, above all our European partners," he said, adding that Macron was "obviously keeping American authorities informed".
