Iran accuses French foreign minister of hypocrisy over war comments

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has accused French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot of "hypocrisy" after the French diplomat said the Iranian people were among the principal losers of the war, caught between repression and bombardment.

Baghaei responded in a post on X, criticising what he described as France's stance during the conflict.

"You remained silent – you even made yourself complicit – while Iranian cities were savagely bombed and innocent Iranians were brutally massacred," Baghaei wrote.

Addressing Barrot directly, he added: "And yet, today, when it serves the political interests of your regime, your selective conscience suddenly awakens, and you claim to lecture the entire world on human rights."

Monsieur le Ministre, L'hypocrisie demeure une marque de fabrique de la culture politique française – un vice qui, comme Molière l'a si justement observé dans son chef-d'œuvre de 1664, Le Tartuffe ou l'Imposteur, « est devenu à la mode ». Vous êtes resté silencieux – vous vous… pic.twitter.com/UUzQB79wWl

— Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) June 19, 2026