France announced on August 18 it will expel two Iranian diplomats in the coming days following an incident in Tehran where two French embassy staff were detained and physically intimidated by Iranian security services on July 19, 2026 [1, 2, 3]. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said, "Two Iranian diplomats in France will be expelled in the very near future," and described the attack on French diplomats as "scandalous and deliberate," noting the act "would have consequences" [1, 3].
The dispute follows Iran's declaration that it had expelled two French diplomats and barred their entry, accusing them of illegal activities that violated the Vienna Convention. According to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, the French diplomats "had violated the Vienna Convention by engaging in activities supporting Iranian civil society," which Iran considered illicit foreign interference [1, 4]. Iran's Intelligence Ministry also announced on August 15 it had detained two French diplomats at a secret meeting amid an investigation into alleged foreign interference [4].
France has denied these allegations. French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said, "The Iranian authorities have chosen to make completely false accusations against our agents and to fabricate a case of interference to justify their actions" [1].
The initial incident on July 19 involved the detention and physical intimidation of two French embassy staff by Iranian security forces in Tehran [1, 2, 3]. France said the actions by Iran were intolerable and demanded consequences.
Both countries have now expelled two diplomats each amid rising diplomatic tensions. The expulsions by France are planned in the next few days following the official announcement on August 18 [1, 3]. Iran's expulsions took place the same day [4]. The incident marks a significant escalation in France-Iran diplomatic relations.
