Iran says two French embassy employees barred from returning
Iran said the pair violated diplomatic rules by supporting civil society and taking part in a secret meeting, officials said.
- On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry announced that two French embassy employees involved in a July dispute will be barred from returning to the country, with spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei alleging they violated the Vienna Convention by supporting Iranian civil society.
- The dispute centers on 'Villa Zadig,' a French Embassy cultural project promoting exchanges with students and artists, though Iranian officials characterized a July 19 meeting at artist Arya Kasaei's home as a site of 'illegal presence.'
- During the July 19 meeting, Iranian security forces arrested artists Arya Kasaei and Elaheh Naghilou while the French cultural attaché was present; Iran's Intelligence Ministry labeled the gathering a 'major case of foreign infiltration' and interference.
- French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot denounced the event as an 'extremely serious act of intimidation by the Iranian security services,' stating the diplomats were detained without reason while supporting Iranian civil society.
- Tehran remains highly sensitive to perceived Western meddling in internal affairs, particularly following attacks in late February; the Intelligence Ministry accused France of operating a 'wide-ranging project aimed at exerting influence' and preparing actions against Iranian independence.
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This decision comes in retaliation to Iran, which decreed "persona non grata" two agents of the French embassy in Tehran who were arrested in July. "An extremely serious intimidation on the part of the Iranian security services," Jean-Noël Barrot said.
France accused Iran of assaulting two French diplomats and, in response, expelling two members of the staff of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic, the French Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Baroin announced that France will expel two Iranian diplomats in response to Tehran's decision to declare two diplomats from the French embassy in Paris persona non grata. Baroin stated in a post on the X platform: "I am informing you that two Iranian diplomats will be expelled from France in the next few days..."
France to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats After Alleged Assault on French Diplomats: FM Barrot
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. In a post shared on X, Barrot said the Iranian people were the "primary victims" of the ongoing tensions in West Asia, caught between internal repression and military strikes. World News | France to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats After Alleged Assault on French Diplomats: FM Barrot.
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