In a statement released on Saturday, the ministry said its forces discovered the presence of two French diplomats at the location of a secret meeting while carrying out a judicial order to arrest two suspects in a major case involving foreign infiltration and interference.

The ministry said the two diplomats had extensive records of violations and conduct inconsistent with Iranian laws and their diplomatic obligations. After verifying their identities, the matter was reported to Iran’s Foreign Ministry, and the diplomats were subsequently handed over to the Iranian ambassador to France in the presence of diplomatic police, according to the statement.

The Intelligence Ministry said it initially refrained from publicly disclosing the diplomats’ violations while investigating the suspects and examining documents and evidence recovered from the meeting site.

It lashed out at French officials for subsequently launching a media campaign aimed at “covering up their established violations” and deflecting attention from the case.

The ministry said a preliminary examination of the documents recovered during the search has revealed a “sinister project,” shedding light on France’s concerns following the discovery.

According to the statement, initial investigations point to the planning of an extensive operation involving infiltration, foreign interference and efforts to pave the way for French action against Iran’s independence. It said the project involved identifying targeted individuals, establishing covert contacts inside and outside Iran, and building networks while observing secrecy measures.

The ministry further said contracts discovered as part of the project bore the signature of France’s former ambassador to Iran, adding, “France must be held accountable for its illegal and interventionist actions and explain this ill-conceived scheme.”

The Intelligence Ministry stressed that the activities had taken place during wartime and described them as a clear violation of Iranian law and diplomatic norms.

“Given the infiltration and overt interference in Iran’s internal affairs, particularly during wartime, and the blatant violation of the country’s laws and departure from diplomatic frameworks that have been conclusively established in this project, the Intelligence Ministry warns that it will not allow its diplomatic guests to engage in illegal and interventionist behavior,” the statement said.

It added that if such conduct is repeated, those responsible would face “appropriate action against the perpetrators.”

The ministry also pointed to France’s adoption in 2024 of a law aimed at preventing foreign interference, based on claims contained in a French Senate investigative commission’s report, saying Paris is therefore clearly familiar with the principle of prohibiting foreign intervention.

It urged the French government to direct its political efforts and taxpayers’ money toward addressing domestic problems and French citizens’ social needs rather than interfering in the affairs of independent countries.

The ministry also called on France to seek a different approach to repairing its anti-Iran image among the Iranian public, rather than relying on sanctions, interference and infiltration.

The ministry said investigations into the case remain ongoing and that further information would be released subsequently.