France summons Iran’s ambassador in Paris after Iran targets France with reciprocal complaints over protests in both countries. French officials say the move follows concerns about an alleged Iranian online disinformation campaign related to secondary school student protests in France.
France’s foreign ministry says the ambassador is told that false content is disseminated by official Iranian foreign ministry accounts and describes the matter as “absolutely unacceptable.” The French statement also refers to Iran’s prior decision on 6 October to summon France’s ambassador in Tehran, calling that complaint baseless and urging the “provocations” to stop. In Tehran, Iran state media reports France is accused of “violent treatment” of demonstrators and “extensive” human rights violations.
Outlets also link the dispute to strained relations between the two countries, noting that France and Iran expelled each other’s diplomats in August. The French and Iranian allegations center on how protesters are treated in France and how online information about the protests is portrayed, with each side challenging the other’s account.
