in scuffles at the French ambassador’s residence, prompting France to complain of “unacceptable violence.”
“On November 14, particularly serious incidents took place at the entry to the ambassadorial residence in Tehran,” the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.
“Its entry was blocked by unidentified security services who proceeded to arrest guests of the French ambassador and carried out unacceptable acts of violence including against French diplomatic personnel,” it said.
“French authorities this morning summoned the ambassador of Iran in Paris to express their strongest condemnation of this extremely serious violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations,” it said.
French officials told Agence France Presse plain-clothes security officers struck at least two French diplomats and arrested guests arriving at the residence of ambassador Bernard Poletti for a concert of Persian music.
The diplomats were struck when they barred the way as agents tried to pursue a woman who rushed into the embassy, but they were not seriously injured, an embassy official said.
Diplomats say similar incidents have happened over time at the British, Austrian, Dutch and Australian embassies, with agents targeting young Iranians turning up for functions.