France to Summon Iranian Ambassador Following Closure of Tehran Language Centre

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has ordered that Iran's ambassador in Paris be summoned following the Iranian authorities' decision to shut down a French-language centre connected to the French embassy in Tehran, the French Foreign Ministry announced.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux denounced the move in a Sunday statement, calling it "this new attack against France’s cultural presence in Iran, following the assault on two staff members of the French embassy last July," and describing it as "unjustifiable and unacceptable."

On Sunday, Iran stated that it had closed the French Language Centre (CLF), accusing it of carrying out "illegal acts that violated diplomatic conventions."

According to the Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news website, the Tehran prosecutor’s office targeted the facility, stating that the "illegal centre affiliated with the French embassy in Tehran... has operated for years under the guise of language instruction." Mizan further alleged that the centre "abused its status as a language training facility" to "identify and build networks among the country’s elite figures while facilitating their departure."

In response, the French Foreign Ministry stated it would implement "appropriate measures to respond" to the closure, confirming the summoning of Iran’s ambassador in Paris at the directive of French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.

This development adds to ongoing diplomatic tensions between Paris and Tehran. Previously, in August, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry reported the detention of two French diplomats regarding alleged foreign interference amidst a national security probe before releasing them to the French ambassador.