France has Doubts of Tehran's willingness to abandon its ability to build an Atomic Bomb

France's foreign minister voiced doubts that Western powers will reach a final nuclear deal with Iran, questioning Tehran's willingness to abandon its ability to build an atomic bomb. 

Laurent Fabius has propelled France to the forefront of nuclear talks by taking a tough stance on Iran, which insists its nuclear program is for civilian and scientific use only.

To reach a lasting agreement, Western powers are pressing Tehran to adopt measures that unwind its nuclear capabilities to the point that a weapon is no longer within reach. 

That goal has been partly overshadowed by disagreements over how to implement a preliminary accord that temporarily freezes Iran's nuclear program in exchange for limited relief from biting sanctions.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.
Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

"We have to implement honestly the first phase," Mr. Fabius said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. 

"Then my main concern is the second phase. It is unclear if the Iranians will accept to definitively abandon any capacity of getting a weapon or only agree to interrupt the nuclear program." 

Mr. Fabius played a central role in toughening terms of the first deal with Iran. 

His warning that world powers risked being drawn into a "fool's game" by Iran nearly derailed the talks in November. 

Mr. Fabius said Western powers need to focus their efforts on how to deprive Iran of "breakout capacity," the ability to restart a bomb-making program from dormant nuclear sites and make a quick dash to a weapon before world powers can react. 

"What is at stake is to ensure that there is no breakout capacity," Mr. Fabius said.

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