France Rejects Claims of Interference in Iranian Opposition Rally

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), which maintains its headquarters in Paris, had earlier asserted that local police blocked the planned event at the eleventh hour. The organization suggested that the decision followed a Thursday phone conversation between Barrot and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, implying a potential diplomatic trade-off involving the protest.

In an official statement issued Friday, the French ministry clarified that Barrot did not discuss the demonstration during his dialogue with Araqchi, nor did he request any intervention from law enforcement. The ministry's rebuttal serves to distance the French government from the NCRI's assertions regarding the sudden police ban.