Tabnak – After months of diplomatic tensions caused by accusations that Iran had organized an intelligence operation in France, Tehran and Paris are passing over disagreements by introducing new ambassadors. France is also taking new steps in defiance of American sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
In this vein, France has appointed Philippe Thiebaud, a former envoy to Pakistan, as the ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran after months of diplomatic tensions between the two sides, sources said.
According to a Wednesday report by French Daily ‘Official Gazette’, Philippe Thiebaud, a former envoy to Pakistan who once represented France at the UN atomic watchdog, has been appointed as the new ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
On the other hand, Mehr News Agency reports that Tehran has appointed Bahram Ghasemi, the current spokesman of the Foreign Ministry and a former envoy to Spain and Italy, as the new ambassador to France.
The new ambassadors will fill posts that have been vacant for more than six months. The previous ambassadors left their missions last summer. The diplomatic tensions mounted between the two sides last year over several issues.
In June, France accused Iran of being involved in a failed attack on an opposition conference in Paris. Tehran strongly denied the accusations, slamming Paris for hosting the MKO terrorist group, which has killed thousands of Iranians in a violent campaign of terrorist bombings and assassination across the Islamic Republic and Iraq.
Later in December 2018, France accused Iran of violating UNSC Resolution 2231 through its ballistic missile program. However, Tehran dismissed the unfounded claims, calling on Paris to avoid repeating the irresponsible and incorrect claims.
Meanwhile and in another related development, Press TV reports that France’s seed maker Vilmorin is defying new US sanctions on Iran to maintain exports to the Middle Eastern country which is the world’s fifth largest vegetable grower.
Iran is facing the "toughest ever" sanctions imposed by the US in November but Vilmorin said on Tuesday it is working with a banking partner to finance deals with Iranian clients able to pay in euros.
Chief Financial Officer Vincent Supiot said Vilmorin is also considering taking part in a proposed European scheme, known as INSTEX, to conduct non-dollar trade with Iran via a barter system that would avert the sanctions.
The French group has annual sales of about 10 million euros ($11.49 million) to Iran by exporting vegetable seeds but it is unsure to what extent it will be able to pursue shipments under the US sanctions.
France was among the first countries to sign a series of projects in livestock and fish farming and exports of organic Iranian products to Europe as nuclear talks with Tehran in 2015 headed down the homestretch.
A European delegation will also visit Tehran in the coming days to discuss the operation of the new channel which the bloc has set up to continue business with Iran and circumvent US sanctions.
