Summoning of the Danish Ambassador and Rouhani's Order for Investigation into Assassination Plot Allegations in Copenhagen

In response to Denmark's accusation against the Islamic Republic for planning an assassination on its soil, and one day after the summoning of the Iranian ambassador in Copenhagen, the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the Danish ambassador on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the head of the Iranian President's office announced that Hassan Rouhani ordered a 'thorough investigation' into the matter. According to the IRNA news agency, the head of the Northern European Affairs Department of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, on Wednesday, November 9, expressed Tehran's protest 'regarding the hasty political and media reactions' of some officials in Denmark concerning the arrest of a Norwegian citizen of Iranian descent accused of planning to assassinate opponents of the Islamic Republic. According to Bahram Qasemi, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, the Danish ambassador stated in this meeting that he had been 'summoned to Copenhagen for some consultations.' Denmark's Foreign Minister announced on the evening of November 8 that following the foiling of an Iranian security service plot to carry out an attack in the country, he had recalled his ambassador from Tehran. Anders Samuelsen emphasized that his country is working to persuade the European Union to impose new sanctions against Tehran in response to Iran's actions. The Danish Foreign Minister also reported that Morteza Moradian, the Iranian ambassador in Copenhagen, had been summoned and was 'clearly' told how 'serious and indescribable' this issue is. However, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman had previously described the accusation as 'malicious' and strongly denied it. Meanwhile, Mahmoud Vaezi, the head of the Iranian President's office, announced on Wednesday that Hassan Rouhani had ordered a 'thorough investigation' into the matter, and the results of this investigation would be announced upon its completion. Mr. Vaezi called the timing of this accusation, just before November 4, the date of the new US sanctions against Iran, 'suspicious' and claimed without naming anyone that some are trying to undermine negotiations between Iran and Europe regarding the preservation of the JCPOA. Some Iranian parliament members, including Hossein Naqavi Hosseini, have also claimed that the US and Israel are 'behind these accusations' and are attempting to 'damage the relationship between Iran and Europe.' The Danish security service reported on Tuesday that a Norwegian citizen of Iranian descent had been arrested in the country on suspicion of collaborating with the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and attempting to attack members of an opposition group to the Islamic Republic. Danish police stated that this individual had been seen taking photos of members of the 'Al-Ahwaz Liberation Movement' in Ringsted, 60 kilometers southwest of Copenhagen. This accusation comes amid the assassination of Ahmad Mola Abunahs, known as Ahmad Nissi, who was referred to as the founder of the 'Arab Liberation Movement of Ahwaz,' and was killed on November 8, 2017, in front of his residence in The Hague. The 'Arab Liberation Movement of Ahwaz' has previously stated that it fights for 'the independence of Khuzestan province and its separation from Iran.' Following the attack on the Iranian armed forces parade in Ahvaz, the Islamic Republic had protested the presence of members of this group in Denmark. 'Yaqoub Hur Al-Tastri,' who introduced himself as the spokesman for the 'Arab Liberation Movement of Ahwaz,' attributed this armed attack to a group known as the 'National Resistance of Ahwaz' in an interview with Radio Farda. Meanwhile, after this attack, the Islamic Republic had previously protested the presence of members of the 'Ahwaz Movement' in Denmark and summoned the Danish ambassador, the Dutch ambassador, and the temporary charge d'affaires of the British embassy in the absence of the British ambassador. However, ISIS officially claimed responsibility for this attack, and the Islamic Republic retaliated by launching several missiles at the alleged headquarters of this group in Syria. The accusations by Danish officials against the Islamic Republic came four months after the arrest of an Iranian diplomat on charges of involvement in a plot to attack a meeting of the Mujahideen-e Khalq Organization in Paris. Meanwhile, some analysts consider this issue and other events, including reports about the assassination of Mohammad Reza Kolahi, the main perpetrator of the explosion at the Islamic Republic Party building, as signs of a possible new wave of assassinations of opponents of the Islamic Republic abroad. Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State tweeted that for the past 40 years, 'Europe has been the target of Iranian-backed terrorist attacks.' He urged America's allies and partners to 'confront the wide range of threats from Iran for the sake of peace and security.'