Iran said on Monday that a proposed deal with France to release a couple in exchange for an Iranian student is pending “necessary procedures”, weeks after Tehran claimed the agreement was close.

The statement struck a different tone from that of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said last month that the exchange was in the “final stages”.

Mr Araghchi made the announcement before UN economic and military sanctions were reimposed on Iran. The measures took effect as the three European partners to the deal – the UK, France and Germany – activated the so-called snapback mechanism, after accusing Iran of “continued nuclear escalation” and a refusal to co-operate.

“Decisions regarding the release of these two individuals are being made by the relevant authorities and we hope that, once the necessary procedures are completed, this will happen,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said.

He repeated the claim that Paris has not informed Tehran of the “exact” reasons behind the arrest of Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian woman living in the French city of Lyon, who was arrested this year over what has been described as anti-Israel social media posts.

Tehran arrested Cecile Kohler, 41, a French literature teacher, and her partner, Jacques Paris, 72, in May 2022, during the last day of a tourist trip to Iran. They were accused of spying for Israel, an accusation they deny.

France filed a case against Iran at the UN’s top court in May over the detention of the couple, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said. In the case filed at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), France accused Iran of “violating its obligation to provide consular protection” to the pair, who “have been held hostage … detained in appalling conditions that amount to torture”, Mr Barrot told France 2 TV.

Last month, the ICJ said it ended the case at the request of France.

Ms Kohler and Mr Paris are the last known French detainees in Iran and their families say they face tough conditions in jail. They are among several Europeans held by Tehran in what some countries, including France, regard as a strategy to extract concessions from the West at a time of tension over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump and Other Pieces 1986-2016
Martin Amis,
Jonathan Cape

The National’s picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Living in…

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

At Eternity’s Gate

Director: Julian Schnabel

Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen

Three stars

The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 640hp
Torque: 760nm
On sale: 2026
Price: Not announced yet