Overview

• The International Court of Justice said France sought the discontinuance of its case over Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, a request Iran did not oppose.
• Emmanuel Macron cited a "solid prospect" for freeing Kohler, Paris and 19-year-old Franco-German Lennart Monterlos after contacts with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian at the UN, while urging caution.
• Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on September 11 that a swap was nearing its final stage, with Tehran proposing an exchange for Mahdieh Esfandiari, held in France since February for promoting terrorism online.
• Relatives reported their last call with Kohler and Paris was on September 13 and described them as exhausted and traumatized after a transfer from Evin prison to an undisclosed location.
• France’s now-withdrawn ICJ filing accused Iran of holding the pair as state hostages and of repeated breaches of consular protections under the Vienna Convention.