French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Friday called on the United States and Iran to seize the opportunity to end a situation that ​is unsustainable and sign an initial peace deal, ⁠which is close to ​being signed, according to a senior U.S. ⁠administration official.

“We call on both sides to seize this opportunity to end a situation ​that is clearly untenable and only creates losers. … That is what I told my Iranian counterpart,” he said ⁠in an interview with cable ⁠TV channel LCI.

Barrot said he ⁠spoke ⁠with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday morning.

“I am cautious, but the positive signs are accumulating,” ​he said. “I feel both sides have a will to reach this ​deal.”