France, Sept. 21 -- According to Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, Tehran prosecutor's office said the closure followed a court ruling.

"Based on the Tehran prosecutor's office, the illegal centre affiliated with the French embassy in Tehran, which has operated for years under the guise of language instruction, was closed," the judiciary's Mizan news website said.

The judiciary said the centre had been conducting illegal acts that violated diplomatic conventions.

It also accused the centre of having abused its status as a language training facility by trying to identify and build networks among the country's elite figures and facilitating their departure. France condemns 'intrusion'

France hit out at the decision. "France conde...