France on Sunday, 20 September 2026, condemned the closure by Iranian authorities of the French language centre affiliated with its embassy in Tehran, and announced that it would summon the Iranian ambassador to Paris and take appropriate measures in response, in a new escalation of diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
France to summon ambassador and threaten measures
The French Foreign Ministry said Paris strongly condemned Iranian security forces’ entry into the premises of the French language centre in Tehran and the authorities’ announcement that it was being closed. Ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux described the move as a new attack on France’s cultural presence in Iran, calling it unjustified and unacceptable.
The ministry added that the Iranian ambassador’s summons to the French Foreign Ministry had been requested by Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot, stressing that France would respond to the centre’s closure with measures it described as appropriate, without specifying their nature.
Iran justifies closure with judicial order
Iranian authorities had announced the closure and sealing of the centre known as “CLF”, which is affiliated with the French embassy, on the basis of a judicial order issued by the Tehran prosecutor’s office. They said the centre had operated for years in the field of French-language education without obtaining the required licences, despite repeated warnings to comply with Iranian laws and regulations.
Iranian authorities accused the centre of carrying out activities contrary to what they described as Iranian Islamic culture and national security under the cover of language teaching. The accusations included monitoring people, establishing networks and facilitating the departure of skilled people from Iran. Paris said it rejected the decision based on those allegations.
The centre offers French-language courses and hosts accredited language-proficiency tests, including the “TCF” and “DELF-DALF” examinations. It continued publishing notices for courses and examinations scheduled for September before the closure order was issued.
Diplomatic dispute escalates between the two countries
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France linked the move to the detention and questioning of two embassy staff in Tehran on 19 July 2026; one was allegedly beaten. Iran cited security allegations, expelled them and barred their entry. France reciprocated in August by declaring two Iranian embassy staff persona non grata.
The French Foreign Ministry linked the Iranian measure to an incident on 19 July 2026, saying that two staff members of its embassy in Tehran had been detained and questioned for hours, one of them beaten, while their means of communication were confiscated and they were prevented from contacting the embassy. Paris considered the incident a violation of diplomatic immunity and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
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Iranian accusations against diplomats
At the time, Iranian authorities denied mistreating the staff and said they had been linked to a meeting connected to a security investigation. Tehran accused the diplomats of carrying out activities contrary to the law and interfering in internal affairs, before declaring them persona non grata and barring them from entering Iran.
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France responds in kind
In August 2026, France responded by declaring two Iranian embassy staff in Paris persona non grata, saying the decision followed what it described as a deliberate attack on its embassy staff. It also summoned the Iranian ambassador to inform him of the measure.
The centre’s closure came before a scheduled meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers, Jean-Noël Barrot and Abbas Araghchi, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York. French President Emmanuel Macron is also due to meet his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, during the meetings.
