France to expel two Iranian diplomats amid diplomatic dispute

Key facts

• France will expel two Iranian diplomats in the coming days.
• Iran previously informed France that two French embassy employees would not be allowed to return to Iran.
• The French diplomats were detained and questioned by Iranian security services in July.
• France accused Iran of violating diplomatic immunity and physically abusing one of the French diplomats.
• Iran denied mistreatment, claiming the diplomats interfered in internal affairs.
• Two Iranian graphic artists were arrested on July 19 during a meeting with the French diplomats.

France announced on Tuesday that it would expel two Iranian diplomats in the coming days, escalating a diplomatic dispute between the two nations. The move follows Iran's decision to prevent two French embassy employees from returning to the country.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated on X that the expulsion was a consequence of the "intolerable" treatment of the French diplomats, who were briefly detained last month in Tehran. Barrot alleged that the French diplomats, including one who was the cultural attaché, were targeted by Iranian officials on July 19, detained for several hours, and questioned in "flagrant violation of diplomatic immunity." He described the incident as an "extremely serious act of intimidation," with one diplomat physically abused.

Iranian authorities have denied mistreatment, asserting that the diplomats were only briefly questioned and had "interfered in Iran's internal affairs under the pretext of engaging with civil society." Iran's intelligence ministry claimed an initial probe indicated the pair were "planning and designing a vast scheme aimed at exerting influence and engaging in foreign interference" to undermine Iran's independence.

Adding to the complexity, supporters of two prominent Iranian graphic design artists, Aria Kasaei, 46, and Elly Naghilou, 36, stated they were also arrested on July 19 during a meeting with the French diplomats to discuss a cultural project called Villa Zadig. The artists have been held since then. Barrot did not mention the artists' arrests in his statement. Rights groups have noted a crackdown on civil society in Iran following protests earlier in the year.