Paris Slams Iran Foreign Ministry’s Summoning of Its Ambassador to Tehran

People hold up signs during a rally in support of the demonstrations in Iran at the Place de la République in Paris in October 2022. (AFP)
People hold up signs during a rally in support of the demonstrations in Iran at the Place de la République in Paris in October 2022. (AFP)
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Paris Slams Iran Foreign Ministry’s Summoning of Its Ambassador to Tehran

People hold up signs during a rally in support of the demonstrations in Iran at the Place de la République in Paris in October 2022. (AFP)
People hold up signs during a rally in support of the demonstrations in Iran at the Place de la République in Paris in October 2022. (AFP)

France slammed on Thursday Iran’s summoning of the French ambassador to Tehran, Nicolas Roche, to its foreign ministry.

“The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs deplores the Iranian authorities’ summoning of France’s ambassador to Tehran on Nov. 30, in response to the National Assembly’s adoption of a resolution on Nov.28 expressing its support for freedom in Iran,” the statement read.

“Once again, France condemns the current crackdown and the multiple attacks on basic freedoms in Iran in the strongest possible terms.”

It reiterated that the protestors’ desire for greater freedom and the respect of their rights are legitimate and must be heard.

Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned Roche on Wednesday following a unanimous vote by lawmakers in Paris earlier this week condemning infringement of liberties and women's rights, state media said.

The ambassador heard Iran’s “strong protest against the baseless accusations” and “unacceptable interventions” in Iran’s internal affairs, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Legislators in France’s National Assembly unanimously approved a nonbinding resolution supporting the protesters.

The measure strongly condemns what French lawmakers call “the brutal and generalized repression by the security forces ... toward non-violent demonstrators, which constitutes a blatant and unacceptable violation of the right to demonstrate and freedom of expression.”

It also denounces laws and rules restricting the rights of women and minorities in Iran. It calls for the release of seven French citizens detained in Iran, too.

During the debate on the resolution in the French parliament on Monday, Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna condemned “the Iranian regime's massive use of arbitrary detention, censorship, and violence.”

She said Iran was responding with “repression” to the “legitimate aspirations of Iranian women and men.”

On the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Indonesia in November, French President Emmanuel Macron denounced Tehran's “increasing aggressiveness” towards France through “unacceptable” hostage-taking and called on Tehran to return to calm and the spirit of cooperation.



Rubio Arrives for NATO Talks as Allies Wait to Learn of US Plans for a Likely Drawdown in Europe

US' Secretary of State Marco Rubio steps off the plane as they arrive for a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on April 3, 2025. (Photo by Jacquelyn Martin / POOL / AFP)
US' Secretary of State Marco Rubio steps off the plane as they arrive for a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on April 3, 2025. (Photo by Jacquelyn Martin / POOL / AFP)
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Rubio Arrives for NATO Talks as Allies Wait to Learn of US Plans for a Likely Drawdown in Europe

US' Secretary of State Marco Rubio steps off the plane as they arrive for a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on April 3, 2025. (Photo by Jacquelyn Martin / POOL / AFP)
US' Secretary of State Marco Rubio steps off the plane as they arrive for a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on April 3, 2025. (Photo by Jacquelyn Martin / POOL / AFP)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Trump administration’s new envoy to NATO arrived Thursday in Brussels, where the alliance’s top diplomats are hoping they’ll shed light on US security plans in Europe.

European allies and Canada are deeply concerned by President Donald Trump’s readiness to draw closer to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who sees NATO as a threat, as the US works to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine, The Associated Press said.

Recent White House comments and insults directed at NATO allies Canada and Denmark — as well as the military alliance itself — have raised alarm and confusion, especially with new US tariffs targeting US friends and foes alike.

Since Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned last month that US security priorities lie elsewhere — in Asia and on the US's own borders — the Europeans have waited to learn how big a military drawdown in Europe could be and how fast it may happen.

In Europe and Canada, governments are working on “burden shifting” plans to take over more of the load, while trying to ensure that no security vacuum is created if US troops and equipment are withdrawn from the continent.

These allies are keen to hear from Rubio what the Trump administration’s intentions are and hope to secure some kind of roadmap that lays out what will happen next and when, so they can synchronize planning and use European forces to plug any gaps.

In a statement, newly confirmed US ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker said that “under President Trump’s leadership, NATO will be stronger and more effective than ever before, and I believe that a robust NATO can continue to serve as a bedrock of peace and prosperity.”

But he added: “NATO’s vitality rests on every ally doing their fair share.”

Whitaker affirmed the US commitment to NATO’s collective security guarantee, which says that an attack on any ally must be considered an attack on them all, but that his brief would also be to encourage Europe to lead on “peace, security, and the rebuilding of Ukraine.”

The statement said allies should demonstrate that NATO takes seriously threats from China.