France says Iran detained its embassy staff, assaulted one


Two French embassy staff were detained for several hours and one was assaulted by Iranian security services on Sunday evening, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said, calling the incident a flagrant violation of their diplomatic immunity.
Barrot said the two staff members were interrogated before being allowed to return to the embassy, where they were safe and awaiting their return to France in the coming hours.
The officials ran French programs supporting Iranian civil society, particularly artists and scientists, he said.
Barrot said he had told Iran’s foreign minister that the “extremely serious and unacceptable” violation of the staff members’ integrity “cannot go without consequences.”