An Iranian Diplomat Arrested in Connection with 'Attempt to Attack' the Mojahedin-e Khalq Conference

Simultaneously with the announcement of the arrest of an Iranian couple suspected of 'planning an attack' on the National Council of Resistance conference in the suburbs of Paris, the Federal Prosecutor's Office of Belgium stated in a statement that an Iranian diplomat was also arrested in Germany for his connection with them. According to the statement from the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office obtained by Radio Farda, this diplomat works at the Iranian embassy in Austria. Meanwhile, according to a report from Agence France-Presse, the Austrian government summoned the Iranian ambassador in Vienna on Tuesday, officially requesting Tehran to revoke the diplomatic immunity of this diplomat. News agencies have not published further details about the identity of this Iranian diplomat, but the Belgian prosecutor's office identified him as 'Asadollah. E', 47 years old. In this context, a journalist from the German newspaper 'Bild' tweeted that the Iranian diplomat delivered the explosive material discovered by the police to the detainees. This issue was not mentioned in the Belgian prosecutor's statement. According to Reuters, staff at the Iranian embassy in Vienna told the media that the Iranian ambassador was unavailable for comment on this matter. The news of the arrest of this Iranian diplomat was announced before the trip of Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, to Austria. Mr. Rouhani arrived in Switzerland on Monday, July 2, for a two-day visit. He will then travel to Austria on Wednesday, July 4. Just an hour before the announcement of the Iranian diplomat's arrest in Germany, the Belgian prosecutor's office stated that two Iranian individuals were arrested on suspicion of planning an attack on the National Council of Resistance conference in Paris. This conference was held on July 1 in the suburbs of Paris. According to this report, both suspects were arrested by Belgian police on Saturday, and 500 grams of homemade explosive material was discovered from them. Additionally, an explosive device was found in the vehicle of these two suspects. Agence France-Presse also reported that the suspected couple was identified as 'Amir. S' and 'Nasimeh. N', both of whom hold Belgian citizenship. According to the Belgian prosecutor's statement, these two, aged 38 and 33, are of Iranian descent. The arrest warrant for these two was issued by an investigating judge in the city of Antwerp. The detainees have been charged with attempted murder and terrorism. Meanwhile, according to the Mojahedin-e Khalq website, the detainees 'posed as supporters of the Mojahedin.' This organization identified these individuals as 'Amir Saadouni' and 'Nasim Nomani'. The Belgian prosecutor's statement also mentioned that three others were arrested in France, two of whom were released after questioning. The identity of the third individual, who remains in custody, has been reported as 'Merhad. E', 55 years old. The report indicates that the police searched five homes in five areas of Belgium. However, the results of the searches have not been announced by the Belgian prosecutor's office. The Belgian prosecutor's statement indicated that the arrests were made in cooperation with the intelligence services of Belgium, France, and Germany, and this made 'preventing a terrorist attack' possible. On the other hand, Charles Michel, the Prime Minister of Belgium, tweeted his thanks to the police and intelligence officers of his country, writing: 'Once again, good cooperation between countries has yielded results.' Accusations against Iran for planning an attack on the Paris meeting The Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance stated on Tuesday in a statement that 'the conspiracy of the terrorist dictatorship ruling Iran to carry out a terrorist attack' on this group's meeting in Paris 'has been thwarted' and that 'Nasimeh. N' came to Belgium from Iran in 2009. This political organization claims to have previously warned about 'terrorist preparations' by diplomats and forces of the Ministry of Intelligence and the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The annual meeting of the National Council of Resistance was held on Saturday in the suburbs of Paris, where several politicians and former officials from the US, Europe, and several regional countries spoke. Among the speakers at this event was Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York and a close associate of the US President, who stated in his speech: 'The United States will continue its pressure on the Iranian regime until its collapse, and it is now realistically possible to witness the end of the Iranian regime.' The main focus of the Paris conference was the widespread protests in Iran, which participants at the meeting considered a 'sign of the imminent fall of the Islamic Republic.' Additionally, the current political and economic situation in Iran, the consequences of the US withdrawal from the JCPOA, and Europe's role in relation to Europe were among other issues raised at this conference. The Mojahedin-e Khalq considers itself an option for replacing the Islamic Republic's government. Regarding this conference, Shahin Qabadi, the spokesperson for the Mojahedin-e Khalq, told Radio Farda that the speakers at the Paris meeting emphasized 'decisive action against the Islamic Republic.'