France is to expel two Iranian diplomats from its embassy in Paris, amid a diplomatic row that demonstrates a rise in tension between the countries.
The decision was made by Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot after Iran announced the permanent expulsion of two French diplomats.
“I warned that these unacceptable measures would have consequences, and that is unfortunately the case. Two Iranian diplomats in France will be expelled in the near future,” Mr Barrot wrote on social media.
He said yesterday that France’s support for Iranian civil society had led to the diplomats’ expulsion. “The Iranian people, a great people, are the primary victims of this period of extreme tension in the Middle East, caught between the bloody repression of the January 2026 protests and the bombings,” Mr Barrot said.
None of the diplomats involved in the row have been identified. Last month, Mr Barrot accused Iranian security services of intimidating the two French embassy staff, including the country’s cultural attache. He said the pair were detained and interrogated “in flagrant violation of diplomatic immunity”.
Tehran said “unusual” behaviour by the diplomats was behind their interrogation and expulsion. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the two embassy employees had breached the Vienna Convention, which defines the rules and privileges of diplomatic missions, by engaging in activities supporting Iranian civil society.
UAE-Iran tension rises
The dispute comes with Iran showing no sign of making concessions to end the war in the Middle East.
Iran fired two missiles at the UAE on Tuesday night. One landed in Emirati territorial waters, while the second landed outside its territory. The alerts were the first since mid-July.
The UAE announced it had cut "all trade, commercial exchange and financial transactions with Iran" due to the threat it poses to the region.
The decision follows a spate of attacks on UAE-owned tankers and Tehran's rejection of talks with the US, which have left the Strait of Hormuz and regional economy in a precarious position.
Yemen's Houthi rebels on Wednesday claimed they had targeted eight Saudi oil tankers and prevented 48 others from transiting regional waters since announcing a blockade against Saudi vessels on July 20, widening the threat to shipping across the region.
Iraq asks for 'special status'
Iraq's Parliament Speaker, Haibat Al Halbousi, on Wednesday asked Iran to make special arrangements for Iraqi oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has declared closed in its standoff with the US.
Mr Al Halbousi made the request during a meeting with his visiting Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Baghdad, because of the “nature of the relationship” between the neighbouring countries, according to a statement from his office.
Powerful armed groups in Iraq are refusing to disarm before a September 30 government deadline, deepening friction between Baghdad and factions with close ties to Tehran.
False claims against UAE
Dr Anwar Gargash, meanwhile, criticised a series of articles and claims levelled against the UAE, as the country seeks to move beyond the Iran war crisis.
The diplomatic adviser to the UAE President said some outlets with an agenda were "circulating false information about the country, at a time when the state continues to focus its efforts on addressing regional developments and preparing for the period ahead".
Afra Al Hameli, director of strategic communications at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "rejected all allegations regarding the status of the economic relationship between the United Arab Emirates and the Islamic Republic of Iran".
