France urges citizens to leave Iran

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot advised French nationals against traveling to Iran and urged those currently in the country to return home, citing risks of arbitrary detention.

Speaking before the French Senate’s foreign affairs committee, Barrot stated, "I take this opportunity to call on all our citizens not to travel to Iran, and on those already there to leave the country and return to France, in order to avoid the risk of arbitrary detention or being taken hostage."

The minister did not specify the number of French citizens presently in Iran. The French government has consistently expressed concern over travel to Iran, particularly for tourism, despite existing advisories.

Barrot also noted that two French citizens, whom Paris considers "state hostages," remain detained in Iran. Diplomatic efforts to secure their release have been ongoing for more than two years.

One of the detainees, French language teacher Cécile Kohler, has been held along with her partner Jacques Paris since May 2022 on espionage charges. Both are reportedly in solitary confinement at Tehran’s Evin prison.

Neither detainee has received consular visits for over a year. Last week, Barrot announced that France would "soon" file a complaint with the International Court of Justice over Iran’s "violation of the right to consular protection."