Iran's Foreign Ministry rejects French cyberattack allegations as baseless

Iran's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday strongly rejecting recent accusations by French officials that linked Iran to alleged cyber activities in France, describing the claims as baseless, according to Mehr News Agency (MNA).

The ministry said the latest accusations were part of a series of repeated allegations intended to divert public attention from France's policies toward Iran and the West Asian region. It cited what it described as France's decades-long hosting of terrorist groups and its support for actions against Palestinians. Iran's Foreign Ministry called the move an irresponsible attempt to damage the country's image and undermine its relations with other nations, adding that it served only the interests of the United States and Israel, which it described as major violators of international law.

The statement further characterized France's accusations as an effort to deflect attention from domestic shortcomings, including failures in governance, an inability to address public demands, and weaknesses in the country's administrative and infrastructure systems. The ministry urged French officials to direct their resources toward the economic and educational needs of their citizens rather than spending large sums on interference in other countries, including what it described as the misuse of diplomatic cover and projects presented as cultural initiatives.

Concluding the statement, Iran's Foreign Ministry reminded France of its international responsibility for actions that violate international law and its unlawful interference in Iran's affairs. It stressed that the Islamic Republic would not hesitate to take necessary and appropriate measures to protect its national interests and security against unlawful foreign activities.

The statement did not provide details of the specific French allegations it was responding to. The report by Mehr News Agency added that the exchange marks a further deterioration in public statements between Tehran and Paris.