Macron sees path to end fighting after call with Iranian president

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday he intends to press ahead with attempts to find a diplomatic solution to the Iran-Israel conflict, following a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

"I am convinced that a path exists to end war and avoid even greater dangers," Macron wrote on X.

"To achieve this, we will accelerate the negotiations led by France and its European partners with Iran."

The French president said he expressed his "deep concern" about Iran's nuclear programme during the call, which Pezeshkian had initiated.

"Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons, and it is up to Iran to provide full guarantees that its intentions are peaceful," he wrote.

Iran initially made no comment on the conversation.

On Friday, one week after the start of the conflict between Israel and Iran, the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the United Kingdom, as well as EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva to discuss the possibility of Iranian concessions in the conflict.

While the meeting did not produce any concrete results, the European ministers expressed their hope of holding further talks.