Iran Summons French Envoy in Response to Criticism at Cannes
The Iranian Foreign Ministry has called in the French chargé d'affaires to Tehran in response to what it described as interference by France's foreign minister following the success of an Iranian film at the Cannes Film Festival.
In response to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot’s “insulting remarks and unfounded allegations,” Mohammad Tanhaei, Head of the Second Department for Western Europe at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, summoned the French diplomat on Sunday.
In a recent meeting, Tanhaei described the accusations made by the French minister as a “blatant interference in Iran’s internal matters.”
He criticized the remarks as “irresponsible and provocative” and urged the French Foreign Ministry to provide an official clarification on the matter.
The Iranian diplomat criticized the French authorities for leveraging the film festival to further their political agenda against Iran.
A prominent figure, Tanhaei, has criticized the French government, accusing it of being a principal ally of Israel in what is described as the ongoing severe breach of human rights and international humanitarian law, most notably concerning the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination. Tanhaei contends that such actions undermine France’s moral standing to make human rights assertions and levy accusations against other nations.
The French diplomat announced his intention to relay Tehran’s protest to the authorities in his government.
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi’s latest work, “It Was Just an Accident,” has garnered the prestigious Palme d’Or distinction at the Cannes Film Festival this past Saturday.
In a comment deemed interfering, the French Foreign Minister expressed in a post on his X account that the film is anticipated to rekindle “hope for freedom fighters globally.”
