U.S. State Department Spokesperson Responds to Arrest of Iranian Diplomat in Germany

Heather Nauert, the spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, in response to a reporter's question regarding the arrest of an Iranian diplomat in Germany and a plot to attack the National Council of Resistance conference, stated that the U.S. is closely monitoring reports related to this incident. During a regular press conference at the State Department, Nauert mentioned that Washington 'probably does not intend to comment ahead of the investigations by inspectors in France' regarding the arrest of the Iranian diplomat and the alleged attack plot. One of the reporters during the press conference, referencing the presence of several American citizens and prominent figures at the 'National Council of Resistance' conference, called for a reaction from the U.S. State Department. At the conference held by the 'National Council of Resistance' and its affiliated organization, the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran, on July 1 in Paris, besides the group's leader and its supporters, Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York and legal advisor to Donald Trump, Bill Richardson, a former U.S. representative to the United Nations, and several other Western figures and officials were present. Shortly after this conference, it was reported that an Iranian couple was arrested on suspicion of 'planning an attack and bombing' at the event. The Belgian federal prosecutor's office also announced in a statement that an Iranian diplomat in Germany was arrested on charges of connections to this couple. The arrested diplomat works at the Iranian embassy in Austria. The U.S. State Department spokesperson stated, 'Overall, I must say we strongly condemn the use of terrorism by the Iranian government. We are all familiar with Iran's previous attacks and continue to condemn the terrorist actions that Iran has previously been involved in.' Since the February 1979 revolution, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been accused of 'assassinating' several officials of the previous regime and its opponents abroad. Many opponents of the regime have also been executed inside Iran. Some Iran-backed groups, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, are also recognized as terrorist organizations by the U.S. and some other countries. U.S. administrations in recent years have placed the Iranian government at the top of the list of 'state sponsors of terrorism.' Tehran has consistently denied accusations of supporting terrorism. Nauert emphasized that the U.S. government is closely monitoring reports related to the current investigations. She stated that France certainly plays a primary role in conducting these investigations, and the U.S. will provide any assistance it can. Yesterday, AFP reported that French diplomats and security officials are acting 'very cautiously' during the investigations, and many have refrained from speaking with the agency due to the 'extreme sensitivity' of the case and the 'uncertainty' of the matter. The arrest of the Iranian diplomat and the alleged 'attack plot' against the 'National Council of Resistance' conference has faced various consequences and reactions. The Austrian Foreign Ministry, where the arrested diplomat was employed, announced on July 1 that his 'diplomatic immunity would be lifted within 48 hours.' The Austrian Foreign Ministry also stated that on Monday, it summoned the Iranian ambassador regarding the arrest of this Iranian diplomat. The Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance stated in a statement on Monday that 'the conspiracy of the terrorist dictatorship ruling Iran to carry out a terrorist attack' on the group's meeting in Paris 'has been thwarted.' The group further stated that 'the Iranian resistance has repeatedly warned about the terrorist preparations' of Iranian diplomats, Ministry of Intelligence forces, and Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 'in various European countries.' On the other hand, Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, stated that this incident is 'another scenario' executed by the People's Mojahedin Organization to 'influence' Hassan Rouhani's European trip and 'damage the position and status of Iran and Iranians in the eyes of European public opinion at this sensitive time.' The news of the arrest of the Iranian diplomat was announced on the eve of President Hassan Rouhani's trip to Switzerland and Austria. The 'National Council of Resistance' conference took place in the suburbs of Paris. Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the National Council of Resistance, and several members of the leadership of this group are based in France.