France announced Tuesday that it will expel two Iranian diplomats in direct retaliation for the attack and detention of two French diplomats in Tehran last month.

According to Paris, the two French diplomats were attacked and held for several hours without being able to contact their relatives. Iran subsequently declared them persona non grata on July 19.

France’s foreign minister said the Iranian people are the primary victims of the extreme tensions gripping the Middle East, caught between the regime’s suppression of protests inside Iran and ongoing strikes in the country.

The foreign minister said France’s support for the Iranian people, including artists and scientists, was what led to what he described as the “outrageous and deliberate” attack against the French diplomats.

He added that Iran’s actions would have consequences, as France had previously warned.

The two Iranian diplomats are expected to be expelled from French territory in the coming days.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)