Iranian MP Warns France Over Expulsion of Diplomats

In a post on the social media platform X, a senior Iranian member of parliament issued a stern warning to France over the expulsion of Iranian diplomats. The MP wrote, "The Iranian nation never forgets France's persistent betrayals in matters such as contaminated blood, INSTEX, and the snapback mechanism. The continuation of this trend and anti-Iranian actions will only make conditions harder for it."

This statement came after French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced on Tuesday evening via X that two Iranian diplomats in France would be expelled in the coming days. Barrot claimed that two French diplomats had been intentionally targeted on July 19, describing the action as intolerable and stating that it would have consequences.

In response, the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran issued a statement regarding the designation of two French diplomats as persona non grata. The statement read: "In view of activities contrary to international law, particularly the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, by two staff members working at the French Embassy in Tehran, and considering that despite the passage of several weeks since the disclosure of their illegal behaviors, no action has been observed by their home government to correct the behavior and guarantee the non-repetition of such behaviors, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recognizes these two staff members as persona non grata, and accordingly, their entry into Iran will be prohibited."

The diplomatic row between Iran and France has escalated, with both countries expelling each other's diplomats. The Iranian MP's warning highlights ongoing tensions, referencing past disputes such as the contaminated blood scandal, the INSTEX trade mechanism, and the snapback mechanism. According to Mehr News Agency, the situation remains tense as both nations take reciprocal actions.