The next is the transcript of an interview with French Overseas Minister Jean-Noël Barrot that aired on “Face the Country with Margaret Brennan” on July 27, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We flip now to French Overseas Minister, Jean‑Noël Barrot, who joins us this morning from Paris. Welcome to “Face The Country.” I need to start on what is occurring in Gaza with the ones horrific photographs that we’re seeing of hunger in a single day, Israel has begun air drops. We all know Jordan, different states want to prepare extra assist. Are you exploring to any extent further avenues to convey assist into Gaza?
FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER JEAN-NOËL BARROT: What is taking place in Gaza at the moment is appalling. Gaza is- is- is now within the breaking point of a complete disaster, and we now have been understanding, over the months, to take a look at and reduction the sufferings of the Palestinian other folks. We in truth have 52 lots of humanitarian lend a hand caught in El-Arish in Egypt, a couple of kilometers clear of Gaza. So we are exploring all choices to take hold of the chance introduced by means of the Israeli executive by means of opening the skies of Gaza, however we name for instant, unhindered, and large get right of entry to by means of all method of humanitarian lend a hand to people who want it maximum.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Has Israel spoke back in your calls?
BARROT: We’ve, with the Ecu Union, began difficult discussions with the Israeli executive, who’ve made first commitments that experience no longer been fulfilled but. In the following few days, the Ecu Fee will shed light on what our expectancies are. We think the Israeli executive to forestall the operations of the Gaza Humanitarian Basis that has brought about massacre in humanitarian lend a hand distribution traces in Gaza. We think them to pay the two billion euros they owe to the Palestinian Authority and to raise the monetary blockage this is now combating the Palestinian Authority to enforce its most simple missions. We additionally be expecting the Israeli executive to convey to a prevent its newest agreement initiatives, the E1 initiatives with 3400 housing devices that would possibly break up the West Financial institution in two items and save you the emergence of a political, a two state resolution. However what we name for is, after all, the instant cease-fire, the liberation of entire hostages of Hamas, that must be disarmed. And the access, the large access, of humanitarian lend a hand in Gaza.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You’re headed to New York, to the United Countries, to lend a hand lead a summit to speak about a two state resolution. Your president introduced France will officially acknowledge the state of Palestine on the UN in September. Greater than 100 nations acknowledge Palestine, however France is the primary western UN Safety Council member to take action, and the US opposes what you’re pronouncing. Secretary of State Rubio referred to as it “reckless.” He says it serves Hamas propaganda, units again peace, and considers it “a slap within the face to the sufferers of October 7.” To your executive’s view, why is he flawed?
BARROT: So the explanation why President Macron made this choice is that it become completely important to restart a political procedure, the 2 state resolution procedure that was- this is as of late threatened, extra threatened that it- it has ever been. And the convention that can happen in New York day after today and Tuesday is an overly vital milestone, as a result of by- by- by means of spotting, or saying the popularity of Palestine, France has been in a position, along Saudi Arabia, that has- that can be co chairing this convention with us, to gather very vital historical commitments by means of all stakeholders, together with the Palestinian Authority president and Arab nations, in prefer of the 2 state resolution, and ensure safety promises for Israel. The 2 state resolution could be very easy, and I feel everybody can perceive what we imply by means of that. The one option to convey peace and steadiness again on this area is to have two state, the state of Israel and the state of Palestine, dwelling facet by means of facet in peace and in safety. This viewpoint is now threatened, and it is why the- the dynamic that we have got initiated become so vital, and that is why the convention that can happen in New York is such crucial milestone. These kinds of efforts are very, very complementary to the efforts that the U.S. have accomplished within the area because the first time period of President Trump. We proportion the temporary goal: instant cease-fire, liberation of all hostages of Hamas that must be disarmed. We proportion the longer term goal: peace and steadiness within the area. And what we are doing, by means of bringing the Palestinian Authority chief to acknowledge 7th of October as a terrorist assault, by means of calling the Hamas- the disarm- for the disarmament of Hamas and the liberation of hostages, by means of committing to deep reform of the Palestinian Authority, and by means of committing to elections inside 365 days, by means of bringing the Arab nations for the primary time to sentence Hamas and get in touch with for its disarmament, we’re growing, or recreating, the prerequisites for this political resolution that, once more, is the one trail ahead, and we’re paving the best way. We are paving the best way for the longer term Abraham Accords that the U.S. management would possibly lead. So I see our effort as very complementary to the U.S. management’s effort, quite than substitutes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Minister Barrot, the president of the US brushed aside what President Macron mentioned, the U.S. Ambassador mocked it. Do you consider that your plans can be successful with out U.S. fortify?
BARROT: Once more, our efforts are very complementary . We proportion the quick time period goal, cease-fire, liberation of all hostages of Hamas, and the longer term goal, peace and steadiness within the area. Actually, we will be able to welcome to any extent further efforts led by means of the U.S. to enforce the Abraham Accord logics. And what we are doing now with this very vital convention that can happen in New York will pave the best way for such accords. However within the intervening time, till the U.S. management supplies, in the course of the Abraham Accord logics, a political horizon for this disaster, we want to act with a purpose to facilitate the- or create an off ramp for the disaster ongoing in Gaza. Now the phrases, we will be able to welcome and fortify long run Abraham Accords, however within the intervening time, inactivity isn’t an possibility.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I need to ask you in brief about an incident that has won a large number of consideration this previous week involving some younger French voters who have been got rid of from a flight from Spain. The airline claims they have been kicked off for being disruptive. The Israeli executive got here out regardless that and mentioned the French scholars have been got rid of as a result of they are Jewish. Have you ever decided whether or not this become certainly an act of antisemitism?
BARROT: I’ve referred to as the CEO of this corporate, who has- to precise our- our critical preoccupation. She has showed that an inside investigation is ongoing. My group has been attaining out to the ambassador of Spain in- in France, and we now have made the similar request. We’re going to stay following this example because it unravels
MARGARET BRENNAN: So too- too early to mention, regardless of what the Israeli executive is indicating.
BARROT: I can’t touch upon that at this level. Now we have taken motion as- once we were given, you understand, as we were given understand of what become taking place, we introduced fortify on location via our embassy to this team. We then reached out to the- the airline corporate, to the Spanish government, and we are now following the result of those investigations.
MARGARET BRENNAN: France has been very lively diplomatically on a variety of fronts. It become simply 5 weeks in the past when the US and Israel bombed Iran. Since that point, France has talked to the Iranian executive, together with different Ecu powers, about what stays of Iran’s nuclear program. How involved are you that once those bombings, Iran would possibly now covertly try to make a weapon, and the sector would possibly not know?
BARROT: That is nonetheless a chance that we face, and along Germany and the United Kingdom, now we have been very transparent, Iran can not have a nuclear weapon, and we now have been, during the last few months, attaining out to the Iranian authority in shut coordination with U.S. government with a purpose to categorical what our expectancies are. Ten years in the past, we reached a deal at the nuclear program that allowed for a vital rollback of Iranian nuclear capability. After all, issues has modified. Nonetheless then, and because then, Iran has violated all commitments it had taken on the time of signing this settlement. We now desire a extra complete settlement that may surround each the nuclear size of Iranian destabilization actions, but in addition it is the ballistic part, in addition to the regional destabilization actions that Iran has been undertaking, until we- until a brand new and strong and sturdy and verifiable settlement is reached by means of the top of the summer season, France, Germany and the United Kingdom will haven’t any different selection however to reapply the worldwide embargoes that have been lifted 10 years in the past when the nuclear settlement with Iran become signed, embargoes on guns, on nuclear apparatus, and on banking.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So France is able to snap again sanctions on Iran once August. Are you asking Iran to talk at once to the US with a purpose to keep away from that destiny?
BARROT: Now we have been talking with Particular Envoy Witkoff, Secretary Rubio, on a weekly foundation in this matter this is extremely vital for the U.S., as for Europeans. We- now we have supported U.S.-led efforts to go into into discussions with Iran. We’ve pressed Iran, after the 12 day warfare, to return to a dialogue with the U.S., and we will stay urgent them to take action, as a result of certainly, if there is not any forged settlement that may be discovered by means of the top of August, we will be able to haven’t any different possibility however to snap again, that means to reapply the ones world embargoes, and we’re able to do this.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Minister Barrot, thanks very a lot in your time this morning.
