Iran Denies Travel Restrictions for French Diplomats to Tehran

The spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry dismissed a Reuters report regarding a French Foreign Ministry directive prohibiting 'non-essential travel' for diplomats and officials of France to Iran as 'incorrect.' Bahram Qasemi stated on Wednesday, September 7, 'I have not received such news from any credible source from the French government, and there is fundamentally no necessity or reason for such a decision.' He emphasized that Iran's relations with Europe, particularly with France, have 'enemies and adversaries who sometimes attempt psychological operations to negatively influence these relations, and we must always remain vigilant against such movements.' Reuters reported that, according to a directive from the French Foreign Ministry, diplomats and other officials have been instructed to avoid 'non-essential travel to Iran.' The agency cited Iran's alleged planning for a bombing in France and a stricter approach towards Tehran as reasons for this decision. About two months ago, an Iranian diplomat and three others were arrested in European countries on charges of planning a bombing at a gathering of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization near Paris, but Iran has denied involvement in this incident. France is among the countries that have supported the nuclear agreement (JCPOA) with Iran following the U.S. withdrawal from it on May 8 of this year. However, Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, spoke on September 5 in a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani about the necessity of dialogue with Tehran regarding Iran's ballistic missile program and its role in the region. Since the 1979 revolution, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been accused of assassinating numerous officials of the former regime and its opponents abroad. For instance, following the assassination of Sadegh Sharafkandi, the Secretary-General of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, and his companions in 1992 at the Mykonos restaurant in Berlin, a court in Germany summoned Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the then-President, Ali Akbar Velayati, the then-Foreign Minister, and Ali Fallahian, the then-Minister of Intelligence. After this ruling and the tension in relations between Iran and European countries, these countries recalled their ambassadors from Iran, and the 'critical dialogues' that had begun with Iran during Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's presidency were halted.