Iran Closes Center Linked to the French Embassy.. "Illegal"

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Iranian authorities have closed a French language teaching center affiliated with the Paris embassy in Tehran under a court order, according to the "Tasnim" agency, citing the public prosecutor's office in the capital on Sunday.

The authorities stated that the center 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."

This comes as relations between Iran and France have experienced repeated tensions in recent years over political, security, and cultural issues, while the activities of some foreign institutions operating in Iran are under strict scrutiny from the authorities.

The French language teaching center in Tehran is considered one of the most prominent cultural arms associated with the French embassy, offering language courses and organizing cultural events for years.

The decision to close it comes at a time when Iranian authorities accuse some foreign institutions of engaging in activities that exceed the declared educational and cultural objectives, while Western countries typically deny such accusations and consider cultural and educational cooperation as part of their diplomatic relations with Iran.