Gérard Araud

Gérard Araud entered diplomacy in 1982 and developed a specialization in Middle Eastern and security affairs. He served in Tel Aviv and Washington, worked in policy planning, advised Defence Minister François Léotard, and became deputy permanent representative to NATO. As director of strategic affairs in Paris, he helped shape France's response to Iran's nuclear program. ¹

In a 2016 interview, Araud recalled drafting the first French proposal for a joint European approach to Tehran in 2003. Britain joined France and Germany, and the initiative sought to bridge the divide between Washington and the Europeans. Araud later served as France's principal negotiator on the Iranian nuclear issue from 2006 to 2009. ²

His senior appointments included ambassador to Israel, political and security director at the foreign ministry, and permanent representative to the United Nations from 2009 to 2014. His UN service included negotiations on Iran, Libya, Syria, Mali, and the Central African Republic. He then led the Washington embassy from 2014 to 2019. ¹

While in Washington, Araud publicly defended the implementation of the Iran nuclear agreement. In the 2016 interview he argued that promised sanctions relief had to work in practice, including access to funds and ordinary trade, and that banking uncertainty could undermine the bargain. He also distinguished the nuclear agreement from France's continuing objections to Iranian missile tests. ²