DUBAI, July 22 - Iranian authorities have denied that two French diplomats posted in Tehran were mistreated by Iranian security personnel, according to a statement from an Iranian foreign ministry official published by state media on Wednesday.
French officials have said the diplomats had their phones taken away, were prevented from contacting their embassy and were subjected to verbal intimidation. France further alleged that one of the staff, identified as the cultural attache, was struck during the incident. In response to those claims, France summoned the Iranian charge d'affaires on Tuesday to register a formal protest.
The French foreign ministry also issued a statement on Tuesday calling on Iran to provide an explanation, punish those responsible and safeguard the security of French premises and personnel "in accordance with their international obligations."
Iranian Foreign Ministry official Mohammad Tanhaei told state media that Iranian security agents had questioned two members of the French embassy after the diplomats met with individuals who are under investigation for security-related reasons. "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, adding that "there was no intimidation."
On Wednesday, France's foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the Iranian account.
Earlier in the week, French Foreign Minister Jean-No l Barrot warned his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi that the episode "would not go without consequences." Araqchi, for his part, told Barrot that the behaviour of the diplomats was "unconventional and unprofessional," according to a Tuesday post on his Telegram account. Araqchi did not provide details about the nature of those alleged actions.
In that same post, Araqchi urged Paris to take steps to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future, stating that "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."
This exchange leaves differing official narratives in open conflict: Paris describes an episode of interference and intimidation affecting the safety and communications of its diplomats, while Tehran describes routine security questioning and a handover to diplomatic police without intimidation. The French protest and the warning from the French foreign minister signal an expectation of follow-up by Iran, while Tehran's public account frames the episode as a reaction to meetings with persons under investigation.