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France Warns Of Possible War With Iran

September 17, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- For the second time in less than a month, France has warned that the crisis over Iran's nuclear program could lead to war.

On September 16, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said negotiations with Tehran should continue "to the end," but he cautioned that the world should also prepare for a possible military conflict.

In an interview on French television and radio, Kouchner said "we must prepare for the worst." Asked how France would prepare for a military conflict with Iran, Kouchner said, "We prepare, first of all, by trying to put together plans that are the prerogative of the head of state, but that is not for tomorrow. We prepare by saying we won't accept the building of this [nuclear] bomb."

Kouchner’s words were an echo of the French president's warning a month ago.

In August, in his first major foreign policy address, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said an Iran with nuclear weapons was “unacceptable.”

Sarkozy then invoked the possibility of a military confrontation -- although he said such a scenario would be “catastrophic.”

A Stronger Stand

Olivier Roy, a regional expert with the Paris-based National Center for Scientific Research, told RFE/RL the French warnings should be seen as a signal that France has toughened its policy toward Tehran.

"France has taken a harder stand on the issue," Roy said. "I think this means that the French authorities believe that only economic pressure is not enough and won’t get the results. They believe that the threat of military action and economic pressure could put enough pressure on Iran."

France’s latest warning also comes during a week-long meeting -- dominated by discussions about Iran -- that is taking place at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna.

Kouchner said in his interview that Paris continues to support negotiations with Tehran at such forums.

But he also added that if Iran fails to stop its uranium-enrichment activities, the European Union could impose sanctions that go beyond current UN measures against Tehran.

It appears the timing of Kouchner’s remarks is designed to put maximum pressure on Iran.

"While negotiations are under way and they should intensify, we have indeed decided to get ready, eventually, for European sanctions outside of those imposed by the United Nations," Kouchner said. "Our German friends proposed such sanctions and we discussed the matter a few days ago."

Kouchner said he has already asked French firms, including oil giant Total, not to invest in any new projects in Iran or take part in any further economic deals.

Iran, for its part, has reiterated that it will continue its uranium-enrichment program, which it says is not for military use.

An editorial by the state-run IRNA news agency today accused the French authorities of seeking to "copy the White House."

(RFE/RL’s Tajik Service contributed to this report.)

Copyright (c) 2007. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org