President Rouhani told his French counterpart that “Iran has always been the main provider of freedom and security of navigation in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman, and it will continue to play this role”. He added that “Iran has not begun any tension in the region and will not do so, but it will defend its interests against any tension creation powerfully". With regards to Iran’s incremental breaches of the JCPOA, Rouhani stated that “the more time passes and Iran takes the next steps, the harder it will be for both sides to return to the beginning point”, while also noting that “Iran’s move to reduce its JCPOA commitments so far is able to return to its previous state very fast if Iran’s economic interests are met”.