10 Iranian Embassies Accused of Economic Violations and Exclusive Imports

The head of the Parliament's Article 90 Commission accused several Iranian embassies of forming companies, engaging in economic activities, and conducting "exclusive imports of certain goods" into Iran by "abusing their positions" in recent years. According to the House of Parliament News Agency, Mohammad Ali Pourmokhtar stated on Wednesday, October 1, that based on reports received, the number of "violating" embassies has reached 10, although he did not disclose their names. He mentioned that the "exclusive imports" of certain goods are part of the "violations" committed by these embassies. He added, "On the other hand, Iran has extensive interactions with some countries in the region and beyond, and in this regard, some staff and individuals present in the embassies are exploiting this situation to disrupt these affairs." Pourmokhtar had previously announced on July 19 that the Article 90 Commission was reviewing the performance of Iranian embassies. In response to this action by the Article 90 Commission, the head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission stated on September 30 that this commission is responsible for addressing all issues related to foreign policy. Aladdin Boroujerdi emphasized that the interference of any other commission in this area is "not in the interest" of the Parliament. In another part of his remarks, Pourmokhtar mentioned "laziness" in promoting Iran's tourism attractions and "ignorance" of the status of Iranian prisoners abroad as other complaints raised against Iranian embassies. He stressed, "Unfortunately, billions of tomans are spent in embassies, but these funds have had no impact on utilizing the vast capacities of the embassies." In recent years, reports have emerged about the purchase of expensive buildings by Iranian embassies in some countries and the negligence of Iranian embassies towards Iranian prisoners in countries like Malaysia.