France condemns the closure of its cultural center in Tehran.. and threatens with "appropriate measures"

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France condemned on Sunday the decision by Iranian authorities to close the French language teaching center affiliated with the French embassy in Tehran, announcing that it would take "appropriate measures," while deciding to summon the Iranian ambassador to Paris.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement that Iranian security forces stormed the French language teaching center in Tehran before the authorities announced its closure, considering this decision "unjustified and unacceptable," and clarifying that it "will harm thousands of Iranians who benefit annually from the French language courses offered by the center."

The French Foreign Ministry also confirmed that Paris "will take appropriate measures" in response to the closure of the center, noting the summoning of the Iranian ambassador to France to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the request of Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian.

Iranian judicial authorities announced on Sunday the closure of the French language center in Tehran affiliated with the French embassy, citing what they described as "illegal activities," without providing further details.

The authorities stated that the center known by the abbreviation "CLF" had been operating for years under the guise of teaching a foreign language despite receiving repeated warnings to obtain a license, accusing it of engaging in "activities against Iranian culture and national security, as well as facilitating the departure of skilled and talented Iranians from the country."

The Iranian decision came amid a growing diplomatic crisis between Paris and Tehran, following the detention of two employees of the French embassy in Tehran last July, with one of them reportedly being assaulted, according to French authorities at the time, before Paris later expelled Iranian diplomats in response to the incident.

While relations between Iran and France have experienced repeated tensions in recent years due to political, security, and cultural issues, the activities of some foreign institutions operating in Iran are under strict scrutiny by the authorities.