An Iranian foreign ministry official is disputing France’s account of an incident involving two French diplomats in Tehran, saying the embassy staff were not mistreated by Iranian security personnel, according to state media reports on Wednesday.
France has maintained that the two diplomats had their phones taken away, were prevented from reaching their embassy, and were verbally intimidated — actions Paris says violate international diplomatic norms. France also says one of the officials, the cultural attaché, was physically struck.
In response to the incident, the French foreign ministry called in Iran’s chargé d’affaires on Tuesday to formally register its objection.
“France expects the Iranian authorities to shed light on this incident, punish the perpetrators, and ensure the security of its premises and personnel, in accordance with their international obligations,” the French foreign ministry stated Tuesday.
Iranian Foreign Ministry official Mohammad Tanhaei offered a different version of events, saying that security agents had questioned the two French embassy employees after they met with individuals currently under investigation for security-related matters.
“Security agents transferred the two individuals to the diplomatic police as soon as they realised their link to the French embassy,” Tanhaei was quoted as saying, and he denied that any intimidation took place.
France’s foreign ministry had not responded to requests for comment by Wednesday.
Earlier this week, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot put his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi on notice, warning that the incident would carry consequences.
Araqchi, for his part, characterized the French diplomats’ behavior as “unconventional and unprofessional” in a post on his Telegram account Tuesday, though he did not specify what actions prompted that description.
Araqchi also called on France to make sure similar situations do not happen again, saying: “Respecting the laws and regulations of the host country and adhering to recognised diplomatic principles and norms are necessary for the continuation of the activities of foreign missions.”
