The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced the move days after the Iranian Intelligence Ministry said the two French diplomats had taken part in a secret meeting in Tehran in July with suspects of a major case involving foreign infiltration and interference.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the French diplomats' activities were in violation of international law, especially the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961.

The ministry said it declares the two French embassy staff persona non grata, thus prohibiting their entry into Iran, in view of the fact that the French government has not taken any action to rectify their behavior and guarantee the non-recurrence of such conduct weeks after the disclosure of their illegal behaviors.