Tehran scrambles to contain fallout after cleric slams Saudi Arabia

“If the intention is to make sure that Iran’s nuclear program would not be weaponized, I think that’s something that we could simply do,” Baghaei said.

“If the (US) intention is to deprive Iranians of their right to peaceful nuclear energy, I think that would be very problematic to the extent that I think it would really challenge the whole process,” he added.

Asked how a compromise could be reached, he replied, “So many ways,” without elaborating.

Following Tehran and Washington's fifth round of nuclear talks, US President Donald Trump on Sunday said that “real progress” had been made in recent talks with Iran and suggested there could be “some good news” in the coming days.

However, in spite of the contentiousness of the issue, Baghaei suggested there is room for maneuver.

“The fact that so far we have continued our talks means that we understand there is a certain level of understanding that Iran cannot under any circumstances give up its right to peaceful nuclear energy,” he said.

Last week, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, ruled out the option of ceasing enrichment.

"Saying things like 'we won’t allow Iran to enrich uranium' is way out of line. No one is waiting for anyone’s permission. The Islamic Republic has its own policy, its own approach, and it will continue to pursue it," he said, going as far as to say he felt it would be the issue to break the talks.

"Indirect negotiations took place (under Raisi) as well—just like now—but without results,” Khamenei said during a memorial ceremony for the late president and others killed in a helicopter crash last May.

“We do not think it would yield results now either. We do not know what will happen.”

Gholamreza Ghasemian, a conservative religious scholar and a former head of Iran’s parliamentary library and documentation center, was detained in the city of Medina while performing Hajj rituals, the reports said.

On Tuesday, Iran’s judiciary spokesman said the arrest of Gholamreza Ghasemian in Saudi Arabia was “unjustified and unlawful,” adding that the Foreign Ministry would follow up on the case.

Saudi authorities have not commented publicly on the matter.

In a video posted before his arrest, Ghasemian criticized Saudi Arabia, accusing it of transforming the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina into destinations for entertainment and commercialization.

He also described conditions for pilgrims as highly restrictive, alleging that Saudi authorities prevent worshippers from engaging deeply with Islamic teachings during Hajj.

Cleric linked to 2016 Saudi embassy attack

Ghasemian has been linked by an Iranian documentary filmmaker to the 2016 attack on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran, which triggered a major rupture in relations between Tehran and Riyadh.

According to the filmmaker, Javad Mogouei, Ghasemian gave a fiery speech at a religious gathering shortly before some attendees went on to storm the Saudi embassy in Tehran.

The assault on the embassy and the consulate in Mashhad came after Saudi Arabia’s execution of prominent Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr. The incident led Riyadh to sever diplomatic ties, accusing Iran of failing to protect foreign missions. Iranian security forces were widely criticized for allowing demonstrators to set fire to the embassy and destroy diplomatic property.

Saudi and Iran continue to rebuild relations

The arrest comes at a time of cautious rapprochement between Tehran and Riyadh, who resumed diplomatic relations in 2023 after a seven-year break.

In April, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman made a rare visit to Tehran, marking only the second such trip since Iran’s 1979 revolution.

Ties have also improved in practical terms. Earlier this month, a direct flight by Saudi carrier Flynas landed in Iran for the first time in nearly a decade, marking the start of Hajj operations under a bilateral agreement that will see around 37,000 Iranian pilgrims flown to Saudi Arabia by July 1. Flynas and Iran Air are jointly operating the routes.

“There have been many transgressions making a mockery of France’s ‘human rights activism,’” Abbas Araghchi wrote on X, posting a screenshot of a Common Dreams headline from November 2024: “‘Pathetic’: France Says It Will Not Enforce ICC Arrest Warrant for Netanyahu.”

“But perhaps nothing has made the hypocrisy as stark as the French approach to the Israeli regime and its war crimes,” he wrote.

Iran summoned the French embassy's chargé d'affaires on Sunday after French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barroti called Panahi a symbol of resistance against what he said was Iran's oppressive policies.

Nuclear disagreements

France is one of the three European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal—known as the E3—alongside Germany and the UK. It has the power to trigger the snapback mechanism, which would reimpose UN sanctions lifted under the agreement.

The deadline for this is October 18, as set by UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

According to The Jerusalem Post, senior E3 officials have privately warned Washington that Tehran is deliberately dragging its feet in nuclear talks, potentially weakening the ability of the Europeans to reimpose UN sanctions if negotiations collapse.

Some state-linked outlets in Iran have long accused France of adopting the toughest stance within the P5+1 group.

“France has long played the role of a ‘pressure actor’ in Iran’s nuclear dossier,” a Nour News commentary argued last month. “In effect, Paris acted as the ‘bad cop’ in the negotiations, assuming the tactical role of a disruptor within the P5+1 mechanism,” the piece said.

French firms exit Iran

Tensions are also rooted in economic fallout.

Following the reimposition of US secondary sanctions in 2018, several major French companies exited Iran, abandoning multibillion-dollar ventures launched after the 2015 deal.

In 2017, TotalEnergies signed a $4.8 billion agreement to develop Phase 11 of Iran’s South Pars gas field—then the largest Western energy investment in Iran since the nuclear deal. The company withdrew in 2018.

France’s auto sector was similarly hit. PSA Group (Peugeot-Citroën) suspended joint ventures with Iran in June 2018, despite a 2016 deal with SAIPA to invest €300 million. Renault also pulled out of a project to produce 150,000 vehicles annually with plans to expand to 300,000.

Detained citizens

France has repeatedly accused Iran of “hostage diplomacy”—detaining foreign nationals as leverage in negotiations.

On May 16, Paris filed a case against Iran at the International Court of Justice over the detention of two French citizens and Tehran’s refusal to grant consular access for more than a year.

Cécile Kohler, a teacher, and her partner Jacques Paris were arrested in 2022 and later appeared on Iranian state TV making what France says were coerced confessions.

French Foreign Minister Barrot warned in January that the release of detained French nationals would directly affect bilateral ties and potential sanctions.

Other detained French citizens include:

• banking consultant Louis Arnaud
• French-Iranian anthropologist Fariba Adelkhah and her partner Roland Marchal
• Franco-Irish travel consultant Bernard Phelan
• Touris and blogger Benjamin Brière
• Tourist Olivier Grondeau

Tehran, meanwhile, accuses Paris of politically motivated arrests of its citizens.

In April, France arrested dual national Shahin Hazamy over alleged support for Hezbollah and Palestinian groups online. In February, French authorities detained Mahdieh Esfandiari, a language teacher, on charges of inciting violence and defending terrorism. Iran says it has been denied consular access in both cases.

In February, French authorities also arrested Mahdieh Esfandiari, a language teacher and translator, on charges of publicly defending terrorism and inciting violence online.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on April 7 that Iran was denied consular access to her.

Sanctions over rights, Ukraine war

France has sanctioned dozens of Iranian individuals and entities—either unilaterally or with EU partners—for Tehran’s crackdown on popular protests and its provision of drones and missiles to Russia for the war in Ukraine.

Those targeted include senior IRGC figures and executives of state-affiliated media.

The clash over Jafar Panahi may have brought tensions into the spotlight, but the grievances on both sides point to a relationship under sustained and widening strain.

The investigation found no evidence that Parsi was involved in a state-directed influence campaign orchestrated by the Iranian government. However, it concluded that aspects of his conduct were incompatible with his role at UI, according to a TV4 report.

The inquiry determined that Parsi, an adjunct senior lecturer at Lund University, failed to adequately inform both his university and the UI about his involvement in the Iran-Europe Initiative (IEI), a network linked to the Iranian Foreign Ministry aimed at expanding the country’s influence in the West.

The TV4 report that prompted the investigation cited emails provided by Iran International and followed a 2023 joint exposé by Iran International and Semafor that detailed Tehran’s efforts to cultivate relationships with academics and analysts abroad to expand its influence.

Despite being cleared of formal allegations of collusion with Iran, Parsi received strong criticism for his lack of openness regarding his role in the IEI and contacts with Iranian government representatives, the TV4 report said.

The investigators concluded that this lack of transparency conflicted with the standards expected of a senior official at UI.

UI Director Jakob Hallgren said that the situation had become “untenable” and confirmed that Parsi would leave his post.

“This has been, as I think everyone understands, a very difficult and stressful time for him,” Hallgren said. “We have jointly decided that it is time for a fresh start so that we can focus on the pressing issues concerning the Middle East.”

Hallgren also expressed disappointment over having not been informed that Parsi was involved in running an organization promoting closer ties between Europe and countries like Iran. “As a leader at UI, one is expected to be transparent about such engagements."

UK funding

Parsi has said that he was commissioned and funded by the British Foreign Office during his involvement in the IEI network in 2014–15. However, the investigation found his statement to be “misleading.”

According to the investigation, the IEI network was initially funded through an entity formed by Parsi called the European Iran Research Group (EIRG). “In 2014–15, EIRG received funding for this purpose from the Heinrich Böll Foundation, which is affiliated with the German Green Party,” the investigation said.

The EIRG was later renamed the European Middle East Research Group (EMERG) and received in total around 55,000 pounds from the British Foreign Ministry between 2017 and 2020, the investigation added, noting that the IEI’s contact with the Iranian officials continued in this period.

In a statement on X, Parsi confirmed he is leaving UI, and called the departure "incredibly sad."

"This investigation has been a great personal and professional strain. It was also preceded by a drive with a clearly political character in which influential people with great responsibility for the Swedish debate climate distorted the discussion," he said in his post in Swedish.

In 2023, the joint investigative report by Iran International and Semafor combed through thousands of emails from Iranian diplomats, revealing a network of academics and think tank analysts cultivated by Iran's foreign ministry to extend Tehran's soft power.

Members of the grouping, called the Iran Experts Initiative (IEI), were guided by Iran's Foreign Ministry in their public writing and media appearances. They were key voices in Western think tanks and policy institutions helping promote Iran's stances.

Parsi, listed in the leaked emails as an IEI member, attended its inaugural meeting in May 2014 at Vienna’s Palais Coburg hotel, coinciding with nuclear talks. Documents indicate that Iran’s foreign ministry covered the event’s costs.

While Parsi acknowledged his participation, he denied collaborating with Tehran.

"In a symbolic act of resistance against the Iranian regime's oppression, Jafar Panahi wins a Palme d'Or, reigniting hope for freedom fighters around the world," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Saturday in a French post on his X account.

On Sunday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry's Director General for Western Europe Mohammad Tanhaei summoned the French envoy to convey Tehran’s strong protest against Barrot's statements.

"Tanhaei condemned his comments as a blatant interference in Iran’s internal affairs and labeled them as irresponsible and provocative," a Foreign Ministry statement said.

He also demanded an official explanation from the French Foreign Ministry.

Tanhaei criticized Paris for what he called the politicization of a cultural event, accusing the French government of misusing its role as host of a cinematic occasion to advance political agendas against Iran.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also called on French officials to "spare Iranians the lectures" on human rights.

"There have been many transgressions making a mockery of France's "human rights activism". But perhaps nothing has made the hypocrisy as stark as the French approach to the Israeli regime and its war crimes. Spare us Iranians the lectures. You have no moral authority whatsoever," he said in a post on X.

The French foreign minister's comments came after Panahi used his speech at the Cannes to call for unity among Iranians worldwide in their struggle for freedom at home.

Panahi, who has faced imprisonment and a nearly 15-year travel ban for his outspoken criticism of the Islamic Republic, received a standing ovation as Cate Blanchett presented the award.

In his acceptance speech, he urged unity among Iranians striving for democracy: "Let's set aside our differences. The important thing now is the freedom of our country, so that no one would dare to tell us what to wear or what film to make."

Panahi's remarks have earned him widespread praise from political, civic and cultural figures around the world.