France is temporarily downsizing its embassy in Iran and will bring some employees and their families home, a French official said Saturday. The move is the latest fallout from protesters' storming of the British embassy in Tehran and adds to the international pressure on the Iranian government.

France's Foreign Ministry says the country is recalling its ambassador to Iran for consultations after an attack on the British Embassy in Tehran. The ministry says in a statement that France was moved to act "in the face of this flagrant and unacceptable violation of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations and the gravity of the violence."

Iran warned it would "not hesitate" to strike back at any military action, in a formal complaint to the United Nations over an attack warning made by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Sarkozy said last week that Iran's "military nuclear and ballistic ambitions constitute a growing threat that may lead to a preventive attack."

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Friday new sanctions would be taken against Iran, accusing it of taking advantage of the Arab Spring to press ahead with its nuclear programme.

Iranian government agents in Paris kidnapped the brother of Confederation of Iranian Students (CIS) leader Amir Fakhravar, took him past French security at Charles de Gaulle International Airport, and placed him aboard an Iran Air flight to Tehran. The 20 year-old victim, Mohammad Reza 'Arash' Fakhravar (pictured), was living under French government protection after receiving political asylum in January.