Iran's intelligence ministry said on Saturday it detained two French diplomats at a secret meeting in Tehran, accusing France of interfering in domestic affairs and running an influence operation aimed at undermining Iranian independence. The ministry said the diplomats were caught while authorities were executing a judicial order to arrest suspects in a foreign infiltration case, and that documents recovered from the site bore the signature of a former French ambassador to Iran. After their identities were verified, the two were handed over to French Ambassador Pierre Cochard.
The incident follows a July 20 accusation by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot that two embassy staff members had been detained for several hours and mistreated by Iranian security forces. Iran denied using force, saying the diplomats were meeting individuals linked to national security cases.
Iran's ministry warned that any repetition would trigger a proportionate response. Barrot had previously called Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi to warn the incident could not go without consequences, while Araghchi protested that the diplomats' actions violated diplomatic norms.