TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran summoned the French ambassador on Sunday in a tit-for-tat protest at a similar move by Paris over a new anti-Israeli tirade by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a further sign of strained relations.
Tensions have been mounting over France's tougher line on the controversial Iranian nuclear drive, and Tehran has also lashed out at plans by Paris for a military base in the Gulf.
On Friday, the French government called in the Iranian ambassador to Paris, Ali Ahani, to "firmly condemn" a new outburst against the Jewish state by Ahmadinejad, who said the days of the "filthy Zionist entity" were numbered.
Iran's state-run television confirmed that French ambassador Bernard Poletti had been summoned by the foreign ministry in response.
"We object to this summons," foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told reporters. "We will show our protest by summoning the French ambassador."
Hosseini also hit out at the government of French President Nicolas Sarkozy for its tougher line in the long-running nuclear standoff between Iran and the West.
"We have so far acted with self-restraint but if the French stance continues along these lines, we will revise our approach to them," Hosseini said, describing the French position as "unfriendly, irrational and unrealistic."
French Defence Minister Herve Morin on Thursday cast doubt on a US report that Tehran had halted a suspected nuclear weapons drive. OPEC member Iran insists its atomic programme is aimed solely at generating energy.
Since Sarkozy's election in May, France has considerably hardened its position and has called for the UN Security Council to impose a third set of sanctions to punish Iran for its failure to heed ultimatums to suspend uranium enrichment.
The Security Council on Monday held informal talks on a draft sanctions resolution agreed by the five veto-wielding permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and United States -- plus Germany.
France said on Friday that some council members were asking for more time to consider the resolution.
Iran, which is already under two sets of UN sanctions, insists it has a right to uranium enrichment under the nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty to make nuclear fuel to meet increasing energy needs of its population.
The French envoy to Washington Pierre Vimont said that a "few" council members wanted to wait for Iran to clear up questions over its nuclear programme with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
In addition, he said, it would take "some time" to get an agreement from some of the council's non-permanent members on the proposed third set of sanctions.
Iran was supposed to clear up all outstanding issues related to its past and present nuclear activities with IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei by mid-February but reports say it has sought an extension to the end of February or beginning of March.
The foreign ministry spokesman also lashed out at French plans to set up a military base in the United Arab Emirates, saying it would only cause instability in the Gulf region.
"We are against military expansion in the region and we think the presence of foreign forces will not contribute to stability but on the contrary, will be a factor of insecurity and instability," Hosseini said.
France announced during Sarkozy's January visit to the UAE that it would set up a military base in the capital Abu Dhabi to become operational in 2009.
Iran has been a vocal critic of the presence of foreign forces in the Gulf region, notably the US military, which has bases in several countries including Iraq.
Ahmadinejad warned in September that France's new tougher position could hit economic relations and last week two parliamentary committees discussed reducing economic ties, particularly in the motor industry.
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