France pledges to boost trade with Iran, asks EU to issue new sanctions

PARIS (AP) — France welcomed Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Thursday with a lucrative car-making agreement and pledges to boost trade after a diplomatic deal easing nuclear tensions — but clouds hung over the historic trip.

France has asked its European Union partners to consider new sanctions on Iran for its recent ballistic missile tests, officials have told The Associated Press. The possibility highlights continued suspicions between Iran and the West despite the recent agreement curbing Iran's nuclear program that prompted the lifting of earlier sanctions.