Ahvaz Attack; Diplomats from Denmark, Netherlands, and Britain Summoned Overnight

Following the attack on the Iranian armed forces parade in Ahvaz that resulted in the deaths of at least 25 people, the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the ambassadors of the Netherlands, Denmark, and the temporary charge d'affaires of the British embassy overnight, in the absence of the British ambassador. According to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, stated on Saturday, September 22, that in these separate summons, "strong protests were made to the senior Dutch and Danish diplomats regarding the residence of some members of terrorist groups responsible for today's crime in Ahvaz." He added: "It was emphasized to the ambassadors of the Netherlands and Denmark that the Islamic Republic of Iran had previously warned about the residence of these individuals in these countries and demanded their arrest and prosecution. It is unacceptable that until these members of the terrorist group commit crimes on European soil, they are not placed on the European Union's terrorist list." Qasemi called for a "strong condemnation of this terrorist act" from these countries and stated that the respective governments must extradite all individuals related to these attacks for trial in Iran. He noted that the ambassadors of these countries expressed their condolences over the incidents and stated that they would immediately convey the issues raised to their capitals. The shooting on Saturday morning during the military parade in Ahvaz left 25 dead and 69 injured. Although hours after the incident, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, Hoor al-Tustari, spokesperson for the "Arab Liberation Movement of Ahvaz," identified the "National Resistance of Ahvaz" as responsible for the operation in Ahvaz; a group that, according to him, is "broader and includes several groups." The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry also announced the summoning of the temporary charge d'affaires of Britain and stated: "In the summons of the temporary charge d'affaires of the British embassy in Tehran, which took place in the absence of the British ambassador, it was emphasized that from the perspective of the Islamic Republic of Iran, it is absolutely unacceptable for the spokesperson of the mercenary Ahvazi group to announce responsibility for this terrorist act through a television network based in London." He referred to Hoor al-Tustari's interview with Iran International. Following the broadcast of this interview, Hamid Baidi Nejad, Iran's ambassador to London, described this action by Iran International as "shameless." Subsequently, the Iran International news network tweeted that this interview was conducted to "fulfill professional responsibility and obtain an official reaction from this group" and added that it is ready to reflect the reactions of Iranian officials "live and transparently." According to the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, after this summoning, the temporary charge d'affaires of the British embassy expressed regret over the Ahvaz incident, stating that such attacks should be addressed wherever they occur. The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic and the Iranian Foreign Ministry have accused "regional governments" and foreign powers of being involved in the attack on the Iranian armed forces parade in Ahvaz.