French Foreign Jean-Yves Le Drian warned on Wednesday that the United States’ policy on Iran will only boost the power of its conservatives and weaken President Hassan Rouhani. This will in turn further destabilize the Middle East, he remarked in wake of Washington’s announcement on Monday that Tehran may face the “strongest sanctions in history” if it does not alter its regional behavior and curb its nuclear ambitions. "The sanctions to be launched against Iran will not foster dialogue. On the contrary, they will boost the importance and power of Irans conservatives and weaken Rouhani, who wanted to negotiate," Le Drian told France Inter radio. "Ultimately, this stance is likely to put the region in further danger than it is today." The minister warned of a "regional explosion" because of the Syrian war and the Iranian nuclear crisis. Asked if there was a risk of a new conflict, he replied "yes". He referred to rockets fired from "Iranian arms based in Syria" on May 10 on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which prompted return fire by Israel against Iranian targets inside Syria. "The conditions are all there so that if by chance something happened, perhaps on purpose, perhaps not, there could be an escalation," he added. On May 8, US President Donald Trump pulled out of the landmark 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which curbs the countrys nuclear program in return for sanctions relief. The decision to withdraw from the accord marked a stark diplomatic defeat for Europe, whose leaders, repeatedly and in person, had called on Trump to think again. Speaking Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Tehran would be hit with the "strongest sanctions in history" and cautioned European firms against continuing to do business with Iran. Later on Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said European countries will remain united in their determination to stick to the 2015 agreement. Maas said he explained the German and European position in a frank, but constructive discussion with US National Security Adviser John Bolton, arguing that it was important to avoid any resumption of Iran’s nuclear activities. “Europe is very, very united in its position on the nuclear accord with Iran, and that will not change,” said Maas, who is due to meet later with Pompeo.