French President Nicolas Sarkozy said that the solution to the Iran crisis is “never military.”

In a speech Wednesday to France’s main Jewish umbrella organization, the CRIF, Sarkozy reiterated his commitment to Israel’s security but maintained that the way to deal with Iran’s nuclear ambitions was through non-military means. “The solution is political, the solution is diplomatic, the solution is in sanctions,” Sarkozy said.

Sarkozy also said Israelis must be reassured so that “the irreparable is not carried out,” a reference to signals that Israel is planning a military strike on suspected Iranian nuclear facilities.