French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday called for Iran to "put an end without delay" to its violations of the 2015 nuclear agreement during talks with newly sworn-in Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the French presidency announced.
Negotiations with world powers on a relaunch of the deal that is supposed to prevent Iran from reaching nuclear weapons capability should guarantee Tehran's "rights," Raisi told his French counterpart in an hour-long phone call, according to the Iranian presidency's website.
Raisi also expressed Tehran's determination to "maintain" its capacity for "deterrence" in Gulf waters, as Iran has been accused of a recent attack on an oil tanker off Oman.
"The Islamic Republic is very serious about providing security and maintaining (its capacity) of deterrence in the Persian Gulf region and the Arabian Sea," he said during the call, adding that Iran "will face those who deprive the region of its security."
Iran is accused by Western powers, including the European Union, the United States and the UK, of being behind the suicide drone attack last month on the Israeli-managed merchant vessel Mercer Street, in the Gulf of Oman.
The attack on the Liberian-flagged oil tanker killed two crew members -- a Romanian national and a UK national.
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the EU Commission Vice President Josep Borrell has condemned the attack, remarking that "all available evidence points to Iran," despite the Islamic Republic vociferously denying its involvement in the attack.