Key facts
- Two French diplomats in Iran were detained and interrogated by Iranian security services.
- One of the diplomats was physically assaulted during the incident.
- France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated the incident was a "serious act of intimidation" and a violation of diplomatic immunity.
- Barrot warned his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, that the incident "cannot go without consequences."
- Araghchi described the conduct of the French diplomats as "unconventional," "unprofessional," and "unacceptable."
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the actions of two French diplomats in Tehran as "unconventional," "unprofessional," and "unacceptable." This statement came after French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot warned of potential consequences for Iran's security services detaining the diplomats.
Barrot stated that the two diplomats were targeted late Sunday by Iranian officials in what he called a "flagrant violation of diplomatic immunity." He reported that both were detained for several hours without reason, interrogated, and one was physically assaulted before returning to the embassy. The diplomats were safe and expected to return to France shortly. Barrot emphasized that the incident was particularly shocking as the diplomats oversee programs supporting civil society, including Iranian artists and scientists.
Barrot had previously warned his Iranian counterpart that the "serious and unacceptable" incident "cannot go without consequences." These remarks followed Barrot's reiteration that European sanctions on Iran would not be lifted unless Tehran abandoned its nuclear program and its regional activities, which Paris deems destabilizing. The situation escalates existing tensions between France and Iran.