President Barack Obama spoke out on the Iranian nuclear situation and the conflict in Syria during a

(11 Feb 2014) At a joint news conference with President Francois Hollande of France, U.S. President Barack Obama weighed into two international struggles Tuesday, vowing to come down like "a ton of bricks" on firms that violate sanctions against Iran and acknowledging that Syrian peace talks are far from reaching their goal. On the issue of Iran's nuclear program, the United States and France are among the countries that signed an interim nuclear agreement with Tehran which halts progress on the Islamic republic's nuclear program in exchange for easing international sanctions. Speaking on companies doing business with Iran in violation of sanctions still in place, Obama said, "We will come down on them like a ton of bricks" if they don't hold up their end. The Obama administration has objected to the interest French businesses have shown in Iran since the sanctions were eased. More than 100 French executives visited Tehran last week, a trip Secretary of State John Kerry told his counterparts in Paris was "not helpful." Hollande said he told the French businessmen that sanctions remain in effect and no commercial agreements can be signed without a long-term, comprehensive nuclear deal. But he said he's not president of the French employer's union and companies make their own travel decisions. On Syria, Obama said there is still a "horrendous situation on the ground." "With each passing day, more people inside of Syria are suffering, the state of Syria itself is crumbling. That is bad for Syria, it is bad for the region, it is bad for global national security," he added. Peace talks between the Syrian government and opposition forces have gained no traction and while an agreement to strip Syria of its chemical weapons stockpiles is being carried out, there are concerns on both sides of the Atlantic that Syria is stalling on its obligations. "Nobody is going to deny that there's enormous frustration here," Obama said. When Obama threatened a military strike against Syria following a chemical weapons attack there last year, France was the only European ally ready to join that effort. Both Obama and Hollande touted the strong relationship between their two nations; a relationship they said has grown over the past years and decades. There has been some tension between the U.S. and its allies in Europe and elsewhere following revelations that their leaders had been subject to spying from the National Security Agency. Obama said there is no country with which the United States has "a no-spy agreement." But he says the United States endeavors to protect privacy rights as it collects foreign intelligence. Hollande said he and Obama "clarified things" about the spying revelations and "mutual trust has been restored." "That mutual trust must be based on respect for each other's country but also based on protection, protection of private life, of personal data, the fact that any individual, in spite of technological progress, can be sure that he's not being spied on. These are principles that unite us," Hollande said. Obama also announced that he's accepted Hollande's invitation to travel to France for the June 6 ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy. The remarks came at an hour-long news conference in the midst of an official state visit, held as Hollande is facing romantic upheaval that resulted in his showing up stag to the White House. The 59-year-old ended his relationship last month with girlfriend and French first lady Valerie Trierweiler after it was revealed that he was having an affair with an actress. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...