France Expels Iranian Diplomat in Connection with 'Failed Bombing Plot'

Security and diplomatic sources have told Reuters that France has expelled an Iranian diplomat in response to a failed bombing plot targeting a gathering of an Iranian opposition group near Paris. The French Foreign Ministry stated about three weeks ago that 'there is no doubt that the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence was involved in this plot.' The gathering of the Mojahedin-e Khalq took place on July 9 in the suburbs of Paris, after which French officials announced the thwarting of an attack plan against this event. Meanwhile, on September 30, France froze assets belonging to Iranian intelligence services and two Iranian citizens in response to the 'attack plan' against this gathering. Belgium has extended the detention of an Iranian diplomat suspected of planning the attack in Paris. Two diplomatic sources told Reuters on Friday that the expelled Iranian diplomat was an intelligence officer who was working as a member of the Iranian embassy in Paris. Reuters reports that the Iranian embassy in Paris has declined to comment on the matter. In this context, an Iranian diplomat in Austria had previously been arrested on charges of complicity in this plot. Germany arrested Assadollah A. (Asadi), who worked at the Iranian embassy in Vienna, on charges of planning an attack against the Mojahedin-e Khalq gathering and extradited him to Belgium. Meanwhile, the Belgian federal prosecutor announced on Wednesday that a court in Antwerp, northern Belgium, has extended the detention of the main suspect in this failed plot for another month. This diplomat is accused of providing an explosive substance weighing half a kilogram to a couple residing in Belgium to target this gathering. In a statement, European officials identified the couple as 'Amir S.' and 'Nasimeh N.', but the Mojahedin-e Khalq stated that their full names are 'Amir Saadouni' and 'Nasimeh Nomani.' The Mojahedin-e Khalq, which is a key member of the National Council of Resistance, claims that 25,000 opponents of the Iranian government attended this gathering. According to this organization, Amir Saadouni and Nasimeh Nomani posed as supporters of the Mojahedin-e Khalq. Meanwhile, Iran has denied any involvement in this matter. Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, previously stated that any 'terrorist action' by the Islamic Republic is condemned, adding, 'Given the existing documents and evidence, the role of adversaries, ill-wishers, and known destructive elements in designing this absurd show is clear.' In this context, Macron stated that it is unclear which part of the Iranian regime was behind the Paris attack. Iran has demanded that France immediately release its detained diplomat. Germany has authorized the extradition of the suspected Iranian diplomat to Belgium, and Belgium has extended the detention of the Iranian diplomat suspected of planning the attack in Paris.