Iran urges France to explain woman's arrest

Tehran on Monday urged Paris to explain the arrest in France of an Iranian woman who has been out of reach for weeks, as tensions mount between the two countries.

The French weekly Le Point identified the woman as Mahdieh Esfandiari, a 35-year-old French language graduate who has lived in Lyon for eight years.

Her family, worried after losing contact, raised the alarm last month with Iranian authorities, who then contacted their French counterparts, Le Point reported, adding they have yet to hear back.

"We hope that the French government will provide access to this case as soon as possible and clarify the reasons for the arrest of this Iranian citizen," said Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei.

"Consular access has not been authorized" by French authorities, he told a news conference, adding that Iran was following the matter closely.

Iranian authorities had been "in contact in recent days with the French embassy in Tehran," Baqaei stated.

French diplomatic sources said that Iranian authorities had been informed about the situation of their national, but the sources could not comment further, saying the matter concerned the interior and justice ministries.

Neither ministry immediately responded to an AFP request for comment.

Iran, which does not recognize dual nationality, is holding several European passport holders, some of them dual nationals.

Western governments, human rights groups and families of the nationals held in Iran have accused Tehran of engaging in "hostage diplomacy", a charge the Islamic republic denies.

French nationals Cecile Kohler and her partner Jacques Paris, arrested during a trip in 2022, are accused by Tehran of espionage, an accusation their families reject.

In March, Frenchman Olivier Grondeau, who had been detained in Iran since October 2022, was released.

Another Frenchman, who requested anonymity and had been under house arrest for several months, was also allowed to leave Iranian territory.