France says Iranian officers detained two diplomats, abused one

France has warned of "consequences" after two of its diplomats in Iran were detained and one was physically abused by Iranian security forces. The incident, which occurred late Sunday, is being called an "extremely serious act of intimidation" and a "flagrant violation of diplomatic immunity."

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The assault is all the more shocking given these two officials oversee our programs supporting civil society, particularly Iranian artists and scientists.

Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated that the two officials were held for several hours without reason and interrogated. He emphasized the shocking nature of the assault, noting that these diplomats are responsible for French programs supporting Iranian civil society, particularly artists and scientists. "I congratulated them for their courage in carrying out their mission, which places France at the forefront of support for the Iranian people, whom we will not abandon," Barrot said.

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I congratulated them for their courage in carrying out their mission, which places France at the forefront of support for the Iranian people, whom we will not abandon.

The French minister informed his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, that the "serious and unacceptable" incident "cannot go without consequences." The diplomats are now safe and expected to return to France soon. This event adds another layer of tension to the already rocky relationship between France and Iran, which has seen shifts in policy, including France's support for listing Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.

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The serious and unacceptable incident “cannot go without consequences.”