Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed French President Emmanuel Macron that the time was “wrong” for talks with Iran, urging him to avoid rapprochement with Tehran as Europe seeks to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal. “This is precisely the wrong timing to hold talks with Iran, while it is increasing its aggression in the region,” Netanyahu told Macron in a telephone conversation that was initiated by the French leader, according to the Israeli statement. Macron on Sunday paved the way for a potential breakthrough in the standoff between Washington and Tehran over the nuclear deal after Iran’s foreign minister made a flying visit for talks with host France at the G7 summit. On Monday, at the G7 summit, US President Donald Trump said that he would meet Iran’s president under the right circumstances and that talks were underway to see how countries could open credit lines to keep Iran’s economy afloat. Tensions have soared between Tehran and Washington since the US last year unilaterally pulled out of the landmark nuclear accord between Iran and world powers and reimposed biting sanctions. Netanyahu said in his call with Macron that Iran was stepping up its aggression in the region, his office said. On Thursday, Israel accused Iran of stepping up efforts to provide the Lebanese Hezbollah party with precision-guided missile production facilities. “Israel will defend itself against any attacks and prevent enemies that seek its destruction from obtaining nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu told Macron, according to the statement. Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah are on high alert after drones were used on Sunday to attack what a security official in the region described as a target linked to precision-guided missile projects. Hezbollah has blamed Israel for the rare strike in Beirut, and said it will retaliate. The group has denied harboring such missile facilities.