In a statement responding to the French Foreign Ministry’s September 20, 2026 statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the action followed years of repeated warnings to the French Embassy to legally register the institute and obtain the necessary permits for its activities.
The ministry stressed that the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations clearly defines the privileges and immunities of diplomatic missions, while embassies are required to comply with the laws and regulations of the host country regarding the establishment and operation of cultural and educational institutions.
It rejected the French Embassy’s insistence on disregarding Iranian laws and expecting exemption from domestic regulations as “in no way acceptable.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry called on the French Embassy to refrain from actions contrary to Iranian law or diplomatic norms and to respect the Vienna Convention as well as the relevant Iranian laws and regulations.
The statement came after a center affiliated with the French Embassy in Tehran, which operated under the guise of providing language instruction, was sealed by order of the prosecutor of Tehran.
The center was sealed amid illegal activities and actions by France that were outside accepted diplomatic norms.
Despite repeated warnings from legal authorities to obtain an operating license in accordance with Iran’s laws and regulations, the center refused to comply and, in practice, showed disregard for Iranian laws.
Pursuant to a judicial order issued by the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office, the illegal center affiliated with the French Embassy in Tehran, known as CLF, which had operated for years under the guise of language instruction, was sealed.
The center had abused its language-training activities to carry out projects against the Iranian-Islamic culture and national security, and had engaged in identifying and networking among elites and facilitating their departure from the country.