The French move on Friday came amid increasingly frosty relations between Tehran and Paris and followed remarks last week by Ahmadinejad who said the days of the "filthy Zionist entity" were numbered.

The state broadcaster's website said Iran had summoned French ambassador Bernard Poletti to protest at "France's dual policies regarding Iran's peaceful nuclear activities and the Zionist crimes in Palestine."

Foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini had told reporters that Iran would call in Poletti to object to the summoning of its ambassador to Paris, Ali Ahani, on Friday.

He also warned that Iran would reconsider its position towards Paris over its tougher line in the long-running nuclear standoff between the Islamic republic 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.

French Defence Minister Herve Morin on Thursday cast doubt on reports that Iran had halted a suspected nuclear weapons drive. Tehran insists its atomic programme is aimed soley at generating energy.

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