Iran said Monday that two French embassy employees at the center of a diplomatic dispute between Tehran and Paris will not be permitted to return to the country, accusing them of violating the Vienna Convention through activities involving Iranian civil society.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei made the announcement during his weekly press conference, saying the two French nationals had engaged in activities that went beyond their diplomatic responsibilities.

“Insisting that these individuals were engaged in activities related to supporting civil society is itself an admission that the Vienna Convention was violated,” Baghaei said, without providing further details about the alleged activities.

The Vienna Convention establishes the framework governing diplomatic relations, including the privileges, immunities and responsibilities of diplomatic missions and their personnel.

The decision comes amid longstanding tensions between Iran and several Western governments over what Tehran regards as interference in its domestic affairs.

Iranian authorities have repeatedly warned foreign governments against involvement in the country's internal political and social affairs, particularly amid heightened regional tensions following the outbreak of the ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.

Baghaei's comments came after French officials publicly acknowledged that the two embassy employees had been involved in programs aimed at supporting Iranian civil society.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said last month that the employees' mission was to develop programs supporting Iranian civil society, students and artists.

“France is one of the countries in the world that does the most for Iranian civil society, and we have paid the price for it,” Barrot said in an interview with France Inter.

Paris has maintained that its diplomatic personnel were carrying out legitimate activities and has objected to Iran's treatment of its embassy staff.

France summoned Iran's chargé d'affaires on July 21, accusing Iranian security forces of detaining and physically intimidating French embassy employees in Tehran.

The diplomatic confrontation has added to already strained relations between Tehran and Paris, with both sides maintaining sharply different interpretations of the activities carried out by the French mission.

Iran argues that diplomatic status does not provide foreign personnel with a license to conduct activities that Tehran considers interference in its internal affairs, while France maintains that supporting civil society and cultural figures falls within its legitimate diplomatic engagement.

The latest decision is expected to further complicate diplomatic relations between the two countries as tensions remain elevated over Iran's relations with Western governments and the wider regional conflict. (ILKHA)