Last Updated Apr 25, 2018 8:34 PM EDT
French President Emmanuel Macron said he believes President Trump will exit the Iran deal “for domestic reasons” next month. Macron, who has been in Washington this week to meet with Mr. Trump, made the comments to a handful of reporters Wednesday night.
“My view — I don’t know what your president will decide — but that he will get rid of this deal on his own, for domestic reasons,” Macron told CBS News “Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan and others after a student town hall at The George Washington University in D.C.
Pressed further on his assertion that he believes Mr. Trump will pull out of the deal, Macron said, “I think so. That’s my view. I don’t have any specific information, I’m not an insider. My view is that there is a big risk he will leave.”
Macron said he believes leaving the agreement would be a mistake, but France and other nations have to be prepared to anticipate that. Macron said he plans to call Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, to discuss the next steps and a new round of diplomacy.
Macron’s comments come after Macron met with Mr. Trump on Tuesday about the Iran deal, but then gave a strongly worded address to Congress Wednesday. In that speech, Macron told Senate and House members the Iran deal, while not perfect, should remain in place before a replacement can be found.
“It is true to say that this agreement may not address all concerns and very important concerns,” Macron said in his speech. “But we should not abandon it without having something more substantial instead. That’s my position.”
Macron, who said he respects Mr. Trump’s decision, said he believes Trump wants to use tension to create his own deal.
Last week, Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said Iran is prepared if the U.S. walks away from the deal.
“Those options are ready to be implemented and we will make the necessary decision when we see fit,” Zarif said.
“Obviously the rest of the world cannot ask us to unilaterally and one-sidedly implement a deal that has already been broken,” the foreign minister added later.
— CBS News’ Bo Erickson and Kathryn Watson contributed to this report.
© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
