Iran's Foreign Minister Responds to MEK Gathering in France

Iran's Foreign Minister reacted to the annual meeting of the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) group in Paris, attended by several foreign figures including the former head of Saudi intelligence, calling the group's activities "a point of ambiguity in relations" between Iran and France. Mohammad Javad Zarif expressed regret over the "granting of activity permission" to this group in France during an interview with Iranian television on Saturday, July 1, while returning to Tehran from France. He added, "We raised this issue as a point of ambiguity in our discussions with French officials, and they have always emphasized that they have no connection with this group." Zarif also accused Saudi Arabia of having "cooperated" with the MEK during the Iran-Iraq war and providing them with financial support, stating that since last year, they have "decided to publicly acknowledge this cooperation by attending their meetings." Last year, Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned the French ambassador in Tehran to convey Iran's "strong protest" against the MEK meeting. The annual gathering of the MEK took place on Saturday in Paris with the presence of several foreign political figures, including Rudy Giuliani, former New York mayor and close associate of Donald Trump, Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Joseph Lieberman, a Democratic politician, and Turki al-Faisal, former head of Saudi intelligence. A statement released prior to the event, signed by several officials from European, American, and Middle Eastern countries, stated: "We believe that regime change in Iran is possible, not only because the regime is mired in crisis but also because a large and expanding movement for positive change is being organized." Rudy Giuliani stated in his speech, "You, I, my government, and your management all see Iran in exactly the same way: this evil regime must go." Turki al-Faisal referred to the Islamic Republic as "the world's greatest supporter of terrorism." His remarks come as Tehran accuses Saudi Arabia of supporting groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda. Al-Faisal's presence at the MEK meeting is notable, especially after his controversial remarks last year referring to Massoud Rajavi as "the late." Shahin Qabadi, a spokesperson for the MEK, told Radio Farda that Turki al-Faisal's comments about Massoud Rajavi were "misinterpreted and drawn incorrect conclusions." Qabadi also stated that the Islamic Republic is currently in "one of its weakest historical moments," and the opposition group, which the MEK is at the center of, is the "alternative" to this government. However, Mohammad Ali Tofighi, a member of the Mojahedin Revolution, stated in an interview that "people consider the democratic behavior of political groups, and any group claiming to succeed the government must also have a popular base within the country." He emphasized that "on the other hand, it is unlikely that excessive reliance on foreign countries for change in Iran will have a positive impact, and people have a negative view of this excessive reliance on foreign countries." The Islamic Republic labels the MEK as a "terrorist" group. Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson on April 16 described John McCain's meeting with Maryam Rajavi and members of the MEK in Albania as part of America's efforts to "develop terrorism." The MEK was on the EU and U.S. blacklist as a "terrorist" organization until a few years ago, but both the EU and the U.S. State Department removed the group from their terrorist lists. The MEK resorted to armed struggle against the Islamic Republic and, during the 1980s, was based in Iraq under the support of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The MEK faced defeat in the "Eternal Light" operation, which occurred after Iran accepted UN Resolution 598. Many members and sympathizers of this organization were executed without trial in 1988. Over the past year, the group's forces, previously in Iraq, have been relocated to Albania.