Iranian Friday Prayer Leaders Protest Possible Opening of EU Office in Tehran

On November 21, several Friday prayer leaders in various cities across Iran protested against the potential opening of a European Union office in Tehran, labeling it a "den of espionage." The Tasnim news agency reported the speech of Ayatollah Mohsen Mojtahed Shabestari, the Friday prayer leader of Tabriz, who stated that the establishment of the EU office in Iran "is not in the interest of the Islamic community as it will eventually turn into a den of corruption and espionage for the West in Iran." Mojtahed Shabestari added, "This office will be established under the pretext of supporting human rights for regime opponents, deniers of Islamic retribution, homosexuals, granting scholarships to certain individuals to support Western human rights, and attempting to improve relations between Iran and Israel." These statements come as Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, recently announced in an interview with ILNA that the EU has sent two representatives to the Dutch embassy in Tehran to facilitate the opening of the EU office. According to Takht-Ravanchi, the EU has embassies and offices in 140 countries, and now that relations between Iran and the EU have "entered a new cooperative space," a new structure is needed for planning and coordination. However, this issue has provoked negative reactions from some hardliners and appointees of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. For instance, Mohammad Javad Larijani, Secretary of the Human Rights Headquarters of the Iranian Judiciary, stated that the Iranian judicial system would not permit such an action. On the same day, the Friday prayer leader of Shiraz also attacked the plan to establish an EU office in Iran, calling it a "den of espionage." According to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), Ayatollah Asadollah Imani remarked, "The opening of the EU office, which is being discussed these days, poses a significant danger that threatens our society." He added, "The American den of espionage, which was captured by Imam's line students, showed that it was not a center for diplomacy and political equations. Today, they want to open another den of espionage within the country." Fars News Agency also reported statements from Friday prayer leaders in smaller cities like Baft in Kerman, who said, "This office is pursuing its sinister goals, including supporting human rights for regime opponents, supporting deniers of public retribution, supporting homosexuals, and creating a diplomatic pressure to lower the revolutionary spirit of the regime towards Zionism, etc." Iranian Foreign Ministry officials have announced that Tehran and the EU will soon hold "high-level political discussions" on regional, political, economic, environmental, and human rights issues. Nevertheless, Majid Takht-Ravanchi emphasized that the Islamic Republic draws a red line in its negotiations with the EU regarding the issue of executions and retribution.