France will expel two Iranian diplomats in the coming days, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Tuesday. The move comes after Iran barred two French diplomats from returning to the French embassy in Tehran.
The dispute has added to growing tension between France and Iran. It began after two French diplomats were briefly detained and questioned by Iranian officials last month.
Barrot said the Iranian action was an “intolerable” response to the treatment of the French diplomats. He said Paris would take action against two Iranian diplomats based in France.
The two French diplomats were detained on July 19. One of them is the cultural attaché at the French embassy in Tehran. Iranian officials questioned both people for several hours.
Barrot said at the time that the detention broke diplomatic rules. He also said one of the diplomats was physically abused during the incident.
France has strongly rejected Iran’s claims about the case. Barrot said the diplomats were targeted while France was working with Iranian artists, scientists and researchers.
He said the two French officials had been subjected to a serious act of intimidation by Iranian security forces.
Iran has denied that the diplomats were mistreated. Its authorities said the two were only questioned for a short time.
Iran also accused the French diplomats of interfering in the country’s internal affairs. Officials said they used meetings with members of civil society as a cover for foreign activity.
Iran’s intelligence ministry said an early investigation found that the diplomats were involved in a plan to increase foreign influence in Iran. The ministry said the alleged plan was aimed at weakening the country’s independence.
On Monday, Iran said the two French diplomats would not be allowed to return to the country. France then announced its plan to expel two Iranian diplomats in response.
The dispute has also raised concern over the arrests of two Iranian graphic designers.
Supporters of Aria Kasaei, 46, and Elly Naghilou, 36, said the two artists were arrested on July 19. They were reportedly detained during a meeting with the French diplomats.
The meeting was held at Kasaei’s home in Tehran. The two designers were working on the visual identity of Villa Zadig, a cultural project, according to their supporters.
The supporters said the designers have remained in custody since their arrest. They called for both people to have access to an independent lawyer.
They also urged officials to protect the designers’ safety and basic rights. They asked France to help establish what happened during the arrests.
Barrot did not mention the two Iranian designers in his statement on Tuesday. The French government has instead focused on the treatment of its diplomats and Iran’s decision to bar them from returning.
The case comes as pressure on civil society in Iran has grown. Rights groups say Iranian authorities have increased restrictions on activists and other members of civil society.
The latest dispute could further strain ties between France and Iran. Diplomatic expulsions are a serious step and often signal a sharp decline in relations between two countries.
For now, both sides remain far apart over the events in Tehran. France says its diplomats were treated in an unacceptable way. Iran says they crossed a line by interfering in its internal affairs.
The planned expulsions are expected to deepen the diplomatic dispute in the days ahead.
