Iran says two French diplomats barred from returning

Iran's foreign ministry said Monday that two French diplomats who were briefly arrested last month over accusations of interference will not be allowed to return to Iran.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the two had left Iran and that Tehran had officially announced the ban. He said French authorities should apologise for the diplomats' actions, which he said violated the Vienna Convention.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on July 20 that the diplomats had been targeted by Iranian officials the previous night “in flagrant violation of diplomatic immunity.” He said they had suffered “an extremely serious act of intimidation” by Iran's security service.

Tehran previously said the diplomats had interfered in Iran's internal affairs under the pretext of engaging with civil society. Iran's intelligence ministry said an initial probe showed the pair were planning a scheme to exert influence and engage in foreign interference to undermine Iran's independence, but it gave no details.

Iran summoned the French ambassador on July 26 to protest against the diplomats' conduct.