TEHRAN -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Sunday that the activities of two French diplomats recently declared persona non grata amounted to “unacceptable interference” in Iran’s internal affairs.
“We acted as soon as we felt that the French Embassy in Tehran had acted beyond its responsibilities and what is stipulated in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and that their actions constituted interference in Iran’s internal affairs,” Baghaei told reporters on the sidelines of an event here.
The diplomats were briefly detained in Tehran last month after they were found at a meeting linked to a security investigation, according to Iranian authorities.
Baghaei said Iran has formally informed the diplomats that they must leave the country and will not be permitted to return.
“Relations between countries, including with France, should be based on mutual respect and compliance with all rules and regulations of international law, including the prohibition of interference in the internal affairs of countries,” he said.
Baghaei said Iran will regulate its relations with all countries on that basis and will issue warnings or take necessary measures whenever required.
“The action taken by the French was not justifiable,” he said, describing Iran’s response as “completely legal and consistent with international law.”
He also warned that such actions could damage the continuation of