Iran closes French embassy-linked center after repeated warnings

Iran's Foreign Ministry announced that law enforcement action was taken to halt what it described as the illegal activities of an institute linked to the French Embassy in Tehran, according to an official statement. The ministry said the move was carried out following a judicial order.

The statement said the French Embassy had continuously disregarded repeated warnings from competent Iranian authorities over past years. Those warnings demanded the legal registration of the center and the procurement of the necessary operating permits, the ministry added.

The Foreign Ministry cited the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, stating that foreign embassies must establish educational and cultural institutes in full compliance with the host country's laws and regulations. Tehran emphasized that the French Embassy's insistence on bypassing these rules and expecting diplomatic immunity for non-exempt activities is unacceptable.

Iran urged Paris to respect international diplomatic conventions and domestic Iranian law. The statement did not provide further details on the specific activities of the center or the timing of the closure.

According to Mehr News, the closure followed a series of prior warnings that Iranian authorities said went unheeded by the French Embassy.