Two more French citizens have been detained in Iran, bringing to seven the number of people from France held in the Islamic Republic, Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said on Saturday.
The minister told the daily newspaper Le Parisien that her office had reason to believe that a further two French nationals had been detained.
Last month, Colonna said five were being held in Iran.
"It is more important than ever to remind Iran of its international obligations. If its aim is blackmail, then it cannot work," the minister said.
"We demand their immediate release.
"My Iranian counterpart, with whom I had a long and difficult conversation, has committed to respecting the right of consular access. I expect that to happen."
The identities of the latest detainees were not revealed.
The others held are French-Iranian researcher Fariba Adelkhah, arrested in June 2019 and later sentenced to five years in prison for undermining national security, allegations her family has strongly denied.
Another, Benjamin Brière, was arrested in May 2020 and later sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison for espionage, charges he rejects.
French teachers' union official Cécile Kohler and her partner Jacques Paris were also detained in May this year, accused of seeking to stir labour unrest during teachers' strikes.
There is also an unidentified "Frenchman who was passing through" Tehran, according to the authorities in Paris. He is said to have been detained during the recent demonstrations.
Individual safety is not guaranteed
The French government last month advised its citizens visiting Iran to "leave the country as soon as possible".
"All French visitors, including dual nationals, are exposed to a high risk of arrest, arbitrary detention and unfair trial," the foreign ministry said on its website last week, adding "this risk also concerns people making a simple tourist visit".
The foreign ministry went on to warn that "in the event of arrest or detention, respect for fundamental rights and the safety of individuals are not guaranteed" in Iran.
The Islamic Republic has been rocked by protests since the death in police custody of young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in September, following her arrest for an alleged breach of Iran's hijab dress rules for women.
