France has appointed diplomat Pierre Cochard as its new ambassador to Iran, according to the official newspaper on Thursday, just a week after the outbreak of war between Israel and the Islamic Republic.
Cochard will assume his duties in Tehran while France, alongside the UK and Germany, works to advance diplomatic efforts for a peaceful resolution to the Iranian nuclear program issue.
The new ambassador will also oversee the situation of French citizens detained in Iran, a subject that has strained relations between Paris and Tehran for the past three years. Currently, French nationals Céline Kohler and her partner Jacques Barry have been imprisoned since their arrest in May 2022 on espionage charges, amidst detention conditions that Paris has described as harsh, deeming their arrest “arbitrary” and regarding them as “state hostages.”
Approximately 900 French citizens or dual nationals are currently residing in Iran, according to diplomatic sources.
Cochard has extensive experience related to Iran, having previously worked in Tehran from 1994 to 1997, and he speaks Persian fluently. He has also served as France’s Consul General in Jerusalem and as Deputy Director for Eastern European Affairs at the French Foreign Ministry.
Cochard succeeds Nicolas Roche, who took over in March as head of the General Secretariat for Defense and National Security responsible for counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, and media misinformation issues.
