Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 06:07am on 21 Sep 2026,Monday International
Iran has sealed a French language centre affiliated with the French embassy in Tehran following a judicial order, prompting France to summon Iran’s ambassador and threaten further measures. Iranian authorities said the centre had operated for years without a licence despite repeated warnings and accused it of using language teaching as a cover for activities against Iranian culture and national security, including building networks and facilitating skilled Iranians’ departure. France rejected the allegations and described the closure as an attack on its cultural presence. The dispute followed Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s criticism of French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot’s remarks marking Mahsa Amini’s death. The two ministers are scheduled to meet Tuesday at the United Nations.
