France and Saudi Arabia warned on May 4 that any future nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers must not destabilize the region further and threaten Iran's neighbors.
French President Francois Hollande met with Saudi Arabia's King Salman ahead of a regional summit on May 5 with Gulf Arab leaders who fear a rapprochement with Shi'ite-led Tehran could bring further destabilization in the region.
"They have a real fear that when sanctions are lifted Iran will be able to finance all its proxies across the region," said a senior French diplomat.
U.S. President Barack Obama is due to meet with Gulf Cooperation Council leaders on May 13. U.S. officials say they are seeking to allay the concerns of Sunni-led Arab states in the Gulf that Iran will still be able to develop an atomic bomb despite restrictions sought by the West.
Tehran denies it is trying to develop nuclear weapons.