The following is an interview transcript with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brain” on July 27, 2025.
Margaret Brainon: We now turn to French Foreign Minister, Jean, Noel Barot, who join us this morning with Paris. Welcome to “Facing the nation”. I want to start what is happening in Gaza with the horrific images that we are looking at starvation overnight, Israel has started drops of air. We know that Jordan, other states want to organize more assistance. Are you searching for another path to help Gaza?
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barot: What is happening in Gaza right now. Gaza IS-is- is now on the verge of complete destruction, and we have been working for months to remove and relieve the sufferings of Palestinian people. We actually have 52 tonnes of humanitarian help stuck in El-Aish in Egypt, a few kilometers from Gaza. So we are searching for all options to seize the opportunity offered by the Israeli government by opening the sky of Gaza, but we ask for immediate, unhealthy and large -scale access to all means of human help for those who need it most.
Margaret Brainon: Has Israel responded to your call?
Barrot: We have a tough discussion with the Israeli government with the European Union, which has created the first commitments that have not been fulfilled yet. In the next few days, the European Commission will make it clear what our expectations are. We hope that the Israeli government will prevent the operation of the Gaza Human Foundation, which has caused bloodshed in humanitarian aid distribution lines in Gaza. We expect them to pay 2 billion euros that they give to the Palestinian Authority and to raise the financial obstruction which are now preventing the Palestinian Authority from implementing their most basic missions. We also hope that the Israeli government will stop its latest settlement projects, E1 projects with 3400 housing units that can divide West Bank into two pieces and prevent the emergence of a political, two state solutions. But what we say for, of course, immediate ceasefire, the liberation of the entire hostage of Hamas, which needs to be discharged. And entry, huge entry, humanitarian help in Gaza.
Margaret Brainon: You are going to New York for the United Nations, to help you lead a summit to talk about two state solutions. Your President announced that France would formally recognize the state of Palestine in the United Nations in September. More than 100 countries recognize Palestine, but France is the first Western United Nations Security Council member to do so, and opposes the United States of what you are saying. State Secretary Rubio called it “careless”. He says that it serves Hamas Publicity, withdraws peace, and “a slap for the victims of 7 October.” In your government’s view, why is it wrong?
Barrot: Therefore, President Macron made the reason for taking the decision that it was absolutely necessary to resume a political process, the two state solution process that was- today’s threatening, threatened more threatened that it has been anytime. And the conference in New York on tomorrow and Tuesday is a very important milestone, because by recognizing or recognizing the recognition of Palestine, France has become competent with Saudi Arabia as well as being chaired by the US, to collect very important historical commitments for the guaranteed authority and Arab countries by all stakeholders. Two state solutions are very simple, and I think everyone can understand what we mean. The only way to bring back peace and stability in the region is two states, the state of Israel and Palestine, which live shoulder to shoulder in peace and security. This perspective is now threatened, and that is why the dynamic that we have started was so important, and that is why the conference in New York is an important milestone. All these efforts are very complementary for efforts made in the region since the first term of President Trump. We share short -term objectives: Tatkal ceasefire, liberation of all the hostages of Hamas that needs to be discharged. We share long -term objectives: peace and stability in the region. And what we are doing, to recognize the leader of the Palestinian Authority as a terrorist attack on the seventh of October, calling Hamas, for the disarmament of Hamas and for the liberation of the hostages, for the deep improvement of the Palestinian Authority, and to be committed to the elections within a year within a year, we are the only way, we are the only way, we are the only way, we are the only way, we are the only way, so that, we are the only way, and again, we are the only way, and again. Are. We are paving the way for the future Abraham that can lead the US administration. So I see our efforts as a very complement rather than the efforts of the US administration.
Margaret Brainon: United States President Minister Barrot said that the US Ambassador made fun of what President Macron said. Do you believe that your plans can succeed without our support?
Barrot: Again, our efforts are very complementary. We share short -term objectives, ceasefire, liberation of all hostages of Hamas, and long -term objectives, peace and stability in the region. In fact, we will welcome any further efforts under the US leadership to implement Abraham Accord Logics. And now what we are doing with this very important conference that will be in New York, will pave the way for such an agreement. But in the meantime, as long as the US administration provides, through the Abraham Accord Logics, a political horizon for this crisis, we need to work to work to make an off -ramp for the devastation in Gaza. Now the conditions, we will welcome and support the future Abraham Agreement, but in the meantime, inactivity is not an option.
Margaret Brainon: I want to briefly ask you about an incident that has included some young French citizens last week who was removed from a flight from Spain. The airline claims that she was kicked to disintegrate. However, the Israeli government came out and said that French students were removed as they are Jews. Have you determined whether it was actually an antisemitism work?
Barrot: I have called the CEO of this company, which is to express our serious prejudice. He has confirmed that an internal investigation is on. My team is reaching Spain’s ambassador to France, and we have made the same request. We will continue to follow this situation because it makes it unhappy
Margaret Brainon: So to say very quickly, what is the indication of the Israeli government, despite this.
Barrot: I cannot comment on it at this point. We have taken action- as soon as we got, you know, as soon as we were informed of what is happening, we offered support for this group at the place through our embassy. We then reached the airline company for Spanish officials, and now we are following the results of these investigations.
Margaret Brainon: France has been very active diplomatically on many fronts. It was only five weeks ago when the United States and Israel bombed Iran. Since that time, France has talked to the Iranian government, along with other European powers, about the remains of Iran’s nuclear program. How worried that after these bombing, Iran can now secretly try to make a weapon, and the world will not know?
Barrot: This is still a risk we are facing, and with Germany and Britain, we are very clear, Iran may not have nuclear weapons, and in the last few months, we are reaching the Iranian authority in close coordination with American authorities, so that our expectations are expressed. Ten years ago, we reached a deal on the nuclear program, which allowed for an important rollback of Iranian nuclear capacity. Of course, things have changed. Nevertheless, and since then, Iran has violated all commitments made at the time of signing the agreement. Now we want a more comprehensive compromise, which will include both nuclear dimensions of Iranian instability activities, but it is also a ballistic component, as well as regional instability activities that are conducting Iran, as long as we are reducing a new and strong and durable and verification agreement, until they were signed atmosphere with Iran, on the weapons, the atomic devices were signed, and the bankruptstics were signed on the weapons. But.
Margaret Brainon: So France is ready to return the restrictions on Iran as August. Are you asking Iran to talk directly to the United States to avoid that fate?
Barrot: We are talking with Special Envoy Vitchoff, Secretary Rubio on a weekly basis on this subject, which is highly important for the US, as for Europeans. We have supported American-led efforts to enter the discussion with Iran. We have pressurized Iran, after the 12 -day war, to return to a discussion with the US, and we will continue to pressurize them to do so, because in fact, if there is no concrete agreement that can be found by the end of August, we will not have any other option but to snap back, which means to re -implement those global embroidery, and we are ready to do so.
Margaret Brainan: Minister Barrot, thank you very much for your time this morning.
