France to expel two Iranian diplomats after alleged assault on French diplomats: FM Barrot

PARIS: French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Tuesday (local time) said France will expel two Iranian diplomats in the coming days, accusing Tehran of carrying out an “intolerable” act following the alleged assault on two French diplomats in July.

In a post shared on X, Barrot said the Iranian people were the “primary victims” of the ongoing tensions in West Asia, caught between internal repression and military strikes. “The Iranian people, a great people, are the primary victims of this period of extreme tension in the Middle East, caught in a vise between the bloody repression of the January 2026 protests and the bombings,” Barrot said.

He added that France’s support for Iranian artists, scientists and researchers was the reason behind what he described as a deliberate attack on French diplomats. “It is precisely because France stands alongside the Iranian people, supporting its artists, scientists, and researchers, that two French diplomats were scandalously and deliberately assaulted on July 19,” the French Foreign Minister said.

“I had announced that this intolerable act would be followed by consequences. It has been done. Two Iranian diplomats in France will be expelled in the coming days,” he added.

Le peuple iranien, un grand peuple, est la principale victime de cette période d’extrême tension au Moyen-Orient, pris en étau entre la répression sanglante des manifestations de janvier 2026 et les bombardements.

C’est précisément parce que la France se tient aux côtés du…

— Jean-Noël Barrot (@jnbarrot) August 18, 2026

The development comes after Iran’s Intelligence Ministry said earlier that two French diplomats were detained over alleged foreign interference during a national security investigation before being handed over to the French ambassador in Tehran.

According to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, Iranian intelligence units encountered the diplomats while carrying out a judicial order related to an investigation into alleged “foreign infiltration and interference”.

The ministry said the identities of the diplomats were verified and Iranian authorities informed the Foreign Ministry before handing them over to the French ambassador under diplomatic police escort.

Iran had accused France of attempting to divert attention from what Tehran described as violations, while claiming that documents seized during the investigation pointed to a broader foreign interference operation.

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi had criticised France and other Western countries after they condemned alleged executions of protesters in Iran, accusing them of hypocrisy over their positions on Gaza and regional conflicts.

The diplomatic row comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and several Western nations over human rights issues, security concerns and the broader conflict in West Asia. (ANI)