WANA (Sep 21) – The Tehran Prosecutor’s Office ordered the closure of the Centre de Langue Française (CLF), a French language center in Tehran, on Sunday, placing an educational institution linked to France’s cultural structure at the center of a new dispute between Tehran and Paris. Iranian prosecutors said the center had been operating without the required permits and had used its language-education activities to identify and build networks among members of Iran’s elite and facilitate their departure from the country.
France, meanwhile, described the closure as an action against its cultural presence in Iran and said it would summon Iran’s ambassador. As a result, a case that began in Tehran over operating permits and security concerns has quickly developed into a diplomatic issue between the two countries.
For years, CLF has provided French-language instruction in Tehran, administered TCF and DELF/DALF examinations, trained teachers and offered services related to studying in France. The center was connected to France’s cultural structure in Iran and presented itself as an institution approved by the French Embassy for language instruction and teacher-training programs.
CLF’s location was also significant to the nature of its activities. The center was situated in central Tehran, near the University of Tehran and Amirkabir University of Technology. Its students included language learners, university students and people seeking to learn French for educational or professional opportunities abroad. Its activities therefore extended beyond language classes and were connected to a broader network of educational and academic contacts.
France to Summon Iranian Ambassador Over Closure of Tehran Center
WANA (Sep 21) – France’s Foreign Ministry said it will summon Iran’s ambassador over the closure of a center affiliated with the French Embassy in Tehran. The center, known as “CLF” and operating under the cover of foreign-language education, was sealed yesterday by judicial order from the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office. Following the closure, […]
The Tehran Prosecutor’s Office, however, has presented a different account of the center’s activities. According to a statement issued by the office, CLF had refused to obtain an operating permit despite repeated notices from relevant authorities and was eventually sealed under a judicial order.
Prosecutors also said the center had used language education as a cover for activities they described as “against national security” and for projects aimed at undermining Iran’s “Iranian-Islamic culture.” The statement further linked the center to the identification and networking of members of the country’s elite and efforts to facilitate their departure from Iran.
Iranian officials have therefore treated the matter as more than an administrative or educational dispute, examining it within the broader framework of national security and the activities of foreign-affiliated institutions inside the country. French officials, by contrast, regard CLF as part of France’s cultural presence in Iran and have characterized its closure as an action against that presence.
France’s Foreign Ministry said following the closure that it would summon Iran’s ambassador. Pascal Confavreux, a spokesman for the ministry, described the closure of CLF as “unjustifiable and unacceptable” and said it followed other measures that Paris believes have targeted France’s cultural presence in Iran.
A view shows a sealed French language centre affiliated with the French embassy in Tehran, Iran, September 21, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)
The dispute over CLF, however, is not new, and questions over its operating authorization have existed for some time. The center had operated for years in connection with France’s cultural structure in Tehran, as part of the broader history of French cultural activities in Iran. At various points, French cultural institutions in the country have also faced legal and political disputes.
The closure comes as relations between Tehran and Paris have already been strained on several fronts in recent years. The nuclear issue, sanctions on Iran, France’s positions on Tehran’s nuclear program and its role in the process of reimposing United Nations sanctions in 2025 have been among the major political disagreements between the two countries.
The activities of French diplomats in Iran have also become a source of contention. This summer, Iranian officials said two French diplomats in Tehran had been subject to security-related action and linked them to a security case. France condemned the move and subsequently took reciprocal measures against Iranian diplomatic personnel in France.
Cultural relations between the two countries have previously been affected by political tensions as well. The closure of some French cultural institutions in Iran and disagreements over their activities have demonstrated that cultural and educational ties between Tehran and Paris have not been insulated from the broader political and security environment.
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WANA (Aug 20) – The French government has expelled Niloufar Shadmehri, Iran’s cultural attaché in France, amid growing political tensions between Tehran and Paris, bringing the role of cultural diplomacy in bilateral relations back into the spotlight. Before taking up her diplomatic post, Shadmehri became known for her book Ambassador’s Memoirs, based on personal […]
In the CLF case, however, not all details have been made public. The Tehran Prosecutor’s Office has provided information about the security-related activities it attributes to the center and the notices it says were issued, but details of the evidence, related cases and the identities of people who were allegedly identified or connected through CLF have not been publicly disclosed. France, for its part, continues to view the closure as an action against its cultural presence in Iran.
The CLF case brings together several sensitive issues — education, foreign cultural activities, regulations governing institutions affiliated with embassies and Iran’s security concerns. Paris’s immediate response also indicates that the consequences of the closure are likely to extend beyond the center itself and affect the broader diplomatic relationship between Iran and France.