French President Emmanuel Macron says he has spoken with his Iranian counterpart Pezeshkian by phone, urging him to “seize the opportunity” presented by the Islamabad talks to “pave the way for a lasting de-escalation”.

In a post on X, Macron said he stressed the “need for Iran to restore freedom and security of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz as quickly as possible”.

He added that France “is ready to contribute” to that task while stressing the “importance of full respect for the ceasefire, including in Lebanon”.