France to expel two Iranian diplomats in coming days, foreign minister says

France is set to expel two Iranian diplomats in the coming days, a retaliatory measure following the detention and intimidation of two French embassy staff members in Tehran during July. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced the decision, stating that the "intolerable act" would have consequences.

The incident involved Iranian security services detaining and physically intimidating the two French embassy employees. In response, Barrot had summoned the Iranian charge d'affaires in Paris to lodge a protest. The announcement of the expulsions follows Iran's statement that the two French employees involved in the diplomatic dispute would not be permitted to return to Iran.

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I had announced that this intolerable act would have consequences. And so it has. Two Iranian diplomats in France will be expelled in the very near future.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, asserted that the French staff had violated the Vienna Convention by engaging in activities that supported Iranian civil society. However, Pascal Confavreux, a spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry, refuted these claims, stating that Iranian authorities had fabricated a case of interference to justify their actions against the French agents.

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the Iranian authorities have chosen to make completely false accusations against our agents and to fabricate a case of interference to justify their actions.