The families of French citizens Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, held at the French embassy in Tehran, face growing anxiety as escalating conflict in the region raises the specter of retaliatory action, their lawyer warned Tuesday.
Thierry Moser, representing the families, expressed fears that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard could target the two French nationals, stating, “I fear a retaliatory action by the Revolutionary Guard, by certain extremists, against our hostages. Exclude this sad eventuality from my mind,” according to reporting by Franceinfo. Moser added that “Iran considers France to be co-belligerent” in the ongoing conflict.
The concerns follow a series of U.S. And Israeli strikes against targets within Iran. Moser also voiced apprehension about a potential strike by U.S. Or Israeli forces within Tehran itself, specifically raising the possibility of the French embassy being inadvertently hit. “I am also afraid of a bombing raid by the Americans or Israelis in Tehran,” he said. “I fear that a projectile will fall on the French embassy… In principle, This represents excluded, but isn’t an accident a possible hypothesis?”
Despite these concerns, the French Foreign Ministry has reportedly assured Moser that Kohler and Paris are safe within the embassy, and that their health is satisfactory. Families are reportedly receiving updates and maintaining open communication with the two French citizens.
Kohler and Paris were released from Tehran’s Evin prison in November after more than three years of detention, having been convicted in October of espionage allegedly conducted on behalf of Israel. However, they remain barred from leaving Iran. Their potential release is reportedly linked to the fate of Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian national who was sentenced by a French court to one year in prison on Thursday, according to Franceinfo.
The situation comes amid increasingly strained relations between Paris and Tehran, as reported by France24 earlier this year. The families of Kohler and Paris, including Anne Laure Paris and Noemie Kohler, have been closely following developments, with anxieties heightened by the ongoing military actions in the region, as reported by Ouest-France and L’Alsace.
As of Wednesday, March 3, 2026, the French government has not issued a public statement beyond confirming the safety of the two citizens at the embassy.
