Araghchi Slams Macron over South Pars Comments

By Staff, Agencies

Iranian Foreign Minister Sayyed Abbas Araghchi has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of “selective concern", denouncing Paris for remaining silent on US-“Israeli” attacks on Iran while calling for restraint only after Tehran’s retaliation.

The remarks come amid a sharp escalation triggered by “Israeli” strikes on Iran’s South Pars gas field, the world’s largest natural gas reserve and a central pillar of the country’s domestic energy system. The attack damaged key facilities and disrupted production, affecting the energy supply relied upon by millions of civilians.

From Tehran’s perspective, the targeting of South Pars marked a deliberate shift toward economic warfare, aimed not only at infrastructure but at the foundations of civilian life. The field supplies a large share of Iran’s domestic energy needs and is critical for electricity generation and heating.

In response, Iran expanded its operations to energy infrastructure across the Gulf, including Qatar’s Ras Laffan industrial complex, the world’s largest LNG export hub, causing significant damage and sending shockwaves through global energy markets. Iranian officials framed the strikes as reciprocal, warning that attacks on the country’s economic lifelines would be met in kind.

And suddenly comes a moratorium on strikes targeting civilian infrastructure

Against this backdrop, Macron said on X he had “just spoken with the Emir of Qatar and President Trump” following the strikes on gas facilities in Iran and Qatar, calling for “a moratorium on strikes targeting civilian infrastructure, particularly energy and water supply facilities.” He warned that civilian needs, as well as global energy security, must be protected from further escalation.

Araghchi rejected the position, arguing that Macron’s call for restraint came only after Iran’s response. “Macron has not uttered one word of condemnation of the Israel-US war on Iran,” he said, adding that France remained silent when Israeli strikes targeted fuel storage facilities in Tehran, “exposing millions to toxins.”

He described the French position as politically inconsistent, stating that Macron’s current concern “didn’t follow Israel’s attack on our gas facilities. It follows our retaliation. Sad!”

The exchange reflects a broader divergence in how the escalation is being framed. Iranian officials argue that Western governments have effectively normalized attacks on Iranian territory while calling for restraint only once the consequences begin to extend across the region.

The confrontation, which has increasingly centered on energy infrastructure rather than strictly military targets, has raised concerns over global supply chains, as the Gulf remains a critical hub for oil and gas exports.

Araghchi also took a swing at the US administration, warning of the long-term economic consequences of the war, which he described as a “war of choice” imposed on both Iranians and Americans, with costs that will ultimately fall on ordinary citizens.

"This $200b is the tip of the iceberg," Araghchi wrote, in reference to the Pentagon's request to the White House for more than $200 billion in additional funding to support the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran.

Highlighting "the trillion-dollar 'Israel First tax' that's about to hit U.S. economy," the foreign minister said, "Ordinary Americans can thank Benjamin Netanyahu and his lackeys in Congress" for such a dire situation.