French President Francois Hollande said on Tuesday that he did not believe U.S. President-elect Donald Trump would scrap the nuclear deal signed between major powers and Iran.
"This accord gives us all security ... could the U.S. with Donald Trump put into question this accord? I don't think so," Hollande was quoted by Reuters as having said in a television interview.
"There is a principle of reality and this deal gives us guarantees. The absence of an accord would be very serious," the French president added.
During the election campaign, Trump promised to “rip up” the Iran nuclear agreement, which he described as “disastrous” and one of the worst agreements ever negotiated.
Iranian officials have downplayed Trump’s threats to annul the nuclear deal, insisting he cannot do so even if he wishes.
Last Wednesday, a day after Trump was elected, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said there was "no possibility" that the nuclear deal with world powers would be overturned by the President-elect.
"Iran's understanding in the nuclear deal was that the accord was not concluded with one country or government but was approved by a resolution of the UN Security Council and there is no possibility that it can be changed by a single government," Rouhani said.
One of Trump's foreign policy advisers, Walid Phares, said last week that while Trump might not actually rip up the agreement, he would act to change it.
"Ripping up is maybe a too strong of word, he's gonna take that agreement, it's been done before in international context, and then review it," the adviser said.
"He will take the agreement, review it, send it to Congress, demand from the Iranians to restore few issues or change few issues, and there will be a discussion. It could be a tense discussion but the agreement as is right now -- $750 billion to the Iranian regime without receiving much in return and increasing intervention in four countries -- that is not going to be accepted by a Trump administration," added Phares.