France is set to expel two Iranian diplomats in response to what Paris has described as a “deliberate assault” on two French embassy staff in Tehran last month, escalating tensions between the two countries.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the diplomats would be expelled “in the very near future”, after Iranian authorities detained two French embassy employees on 19 July.
“I had announced that this intolerable act would have consequences. And so it has,” Barrot said in a post on X.
France said the two embassy staff were detained and physically intimidated by Iranian security services during the July incident. Barrot subsequently summoned Iran's chargé d'affaires in Paris to protest.
The latest move came a day after Tehran announced that the two French employees would not be allowed to return to Iran.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said two French Embassy employees had been declared persona non grata for allegedly breaching the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations by carrying out activities supporting Iranian civil society.
In a statement late on Tuesday, the ministry said the two had engaged in “activities that violate international law” and criticised France for failing to take action after the alleged conduct was exposed, as reported by IRNA.
It said the employees would be barred from entering Iran, adding that their actions had not been corrected despite several weeks passing since the allegations emerged.
The convention sets out the rights and responsibilities of diplomats and diplomatic missions, including protections intended to allow them to carry out their official duties.
France has strongly rejected Tehran's allegations.
“The Iranian authorities have chosen to make completely false accusations against our agents and to fabricate a case of interference to justify their actions,” French Foreign Ministry Spokesman Pascal Confavreux said.
Paris has described the detention as an unacceptable attack on diplomatic personnel, while Iran has accused the French employees of involvement in a foreign influence operation.
Tehran later said the diplomats were detained as part of an investigation into alleged “foreign influence and interference” targeting Iran's independence.
The European Union has also condemned the incident, adding pressure on Tehran amid already strained relations with European governments.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would “love” to see British-run Northern Ireland unify...
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was hit by a drone attack, with Riyadh and Baghdad sayin...
Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces struck two cargo vessels overnight in the Ukrainian Black Sea port o...
Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, explosions were heard across parts of southern Iran according to local media reports.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the weekend BRICS summit, amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, joining a host of foreign dignitaries.
Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia and a seaport in Dagestan in the past 24 hours, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He will meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday to discuss air defences for Ukraine over winter.
Mexico and the U.S. are racing to secure a trade deal before the U.S. midterm elections in less than eight weeks, according to six sources familiar with the talks, with failed negotiations between Washington and Canada adding urgency.
A Russian strike on a gas station in Kyiv has killed two people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a statement on Telegram. In Russia, online marketplace Ozon has suspended operations in Saratov, southwestern Russia, following a drone strike on a warehouse in the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would “love” to see British-run Northern Ireland unify with Ireland, remarks made during a visit to Dublin that drew a sharp response from pro-British unionists in Northern Ireland.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was hit by a drone attack, with Riyadh and Baghdad saying the strike originated from Iraq.
Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces struck two cargo vessels overnight in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Chornomorsk, the Interfax news agency reported on Saturday.
BRICS leaders have called for maximum restraint over the war in the Middle East, warning against actions that could further worsen tensions as the United States and Iran resume strikes against each other.
Dubai’s property market has spent years climbing. Now, for the first time since 2021, prices are moving in the opposite direction.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment