Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s foreign minister, called the detention of two of the country’s diplomats in Tehran “a very serious and premeditated attack” and said the action “will not go unanswered.” He added that Paris is reviewing “all options” to respond to the move.

Barrot, in an interview with Radio France Inter, said that the two French diplomats who were detained by Iranian Islamic Republic security forces on the evening of Sunday, July 28 (28 Tir), returned to Paris on Wednesday. According to Barrot, they were held for nearly four hours without access to communication devices and without the ability to contact the embassy, and one of them, who was France’s cultural attaché, was beaten.

The French foreign minister said the two diplomats were responsible for carrying out programs supporting Iran’s civil society, including students and artists, as well as providing consular services from the embassy, including French language training courses.

Barrot also said the move shows that the Islamic Republic is trying to deter France from continuing its support for the Iranian people, but Paris will continue that support.