Illustrative photo: a slogan "Free Cécile" drawn in a field near the town of Soultz-Haut-Rhin, in eastern France, on June 18, 2025. (Credit: Sebastien Bozon/AFP.)
Pierre Cochard has been appointed as the French ambassador to Iran, a nomination published in the Official Journal on Thursday, nearly a week after Israel launched strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The diplomat, who has been stationed in Belgrade since November 2021, takes up his role in Tehran as France works alongside the United Kingdom and Germany to push for a peaceful resolution to the delicate issue of Iran's nuclear program.
The Israeli military has been conducting unprecedented strikes on Iran since Friday, with the declared aim of preventing Tehran from obtaining the atomic bomb. The United States and its Western allies, as well as Israel, considered by experts as the only nuclear power in the Middle East, have long accused the Islamic Republic of Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, a claim it has always denied.
Cochard will also have to address the issue of the "state hostages," which has been poisoning Franco-Iranian relations for three years.
Cecile Kohler, a teacher, and her partner, Jacques Paris, were arrested in May 2022 for "espionage" and have been imprisoned under extremely harsh conditions, in isolation, in Tehran's Evin prison. The French authorities have continuously condemned these arrests and detentions, which they consider "arbitrary," labeling these prisoners as "state hostages." Kohler and Paris are officially the last two French citizens detained in Iran. Olivier Grondeau, who had been detained since October 2022, was released in March. Some 900 French or dual nationals are currently in Iran, according to a diplomatic source.
In the past, Cochard notably held the positions of Consul General of France in Jerusalem and Deputy Director of Eastern Europe. Fluent in Persian, he had previously served in Tehran from 1994 to 1997.
He replaces Nicolas Roche, who was appointed in early March as the head of the General Secretariat for Defense and National Security (SGDSN), an organization responsible for plans to combat terrorism, misinformation, and cyberattacks.
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