International

Iranian media: France evacuates its diplomatic staff from embassy in Tehran

Iranian Fars news agency revealed that France evacuated its embassy in Tehran of its diplomatic staff amid rising security concerns in the region, while no official confirmation has been issued from the French side so far.

This news comes at a time when relations between Iran and Western countries are experiencing sharp tensions due to the recent military escalation.

Mustafa Melih Ahıshalı, Mahmut Nabi

23 July 2026 • Updated: 23 July 2026

İSTANBUL

Istanbul / Anadolu

The agency reported that the French embassy in the Iranian capital witnessed a full evacuation of its staff due to recent tensions.

The Iranian agency explained that the French embassy in Tehran was evacuated against the backdrop of recent tensions in the region.

Unconfirmed reports circulated about Britain closing its embassy in Tehran, while the agency indicated that France followed suit and withdrew its diplomats for security reasons.

No official statement has been issued yet regarding this news.

For about two weeks, the United States has been launching successive waves of strikes inside Iran, while Tehran carries out attacks on ships, installations, and military bases it claims are American in several countries of the region.

This comes despite Washington and Tehran signing a memorandum of understanding on June 18 that stipulated a ceasefire and the start of negotiations for a broader agreement.

However, the US president announced on July 8 the end of the ceasefire, after Iran targeted three ships in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Washington to resume its strikes inside Iran amid escalating responses from Tehran in the region.

Washington demands 'guaranteeing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,' while Tehran, as a littoral state, insists on imposing a mechanism to regulate the passage of ships through the strategic waterway, exacerbating fears of disruption to oil and gas exports from the region.

Israel had previously joined the United States in two rounds of attacks against Iran, the first in June 2025 and the second in February 2026, during which the two sides exchanged attacks following the collapse of negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program.

The region has been witnessing for weeks a mutual escalation between the United States and Iran, with Washington launching airstrikes inside Iranian territory, while Tehran responded by targeting ships and installations it claims are American in the Gulf. The ceasefire signed in June collapsed in early July after an Iranian attack on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. These developments raise fears of an expansion of the conflict, especially with repeated talk of closing Western embassies in Tehran. Observers are watching whether European powers will take similar diplomatic steps in the coming days.