Zarif's Reaction to the Arrest of Four Individuals Suspected of Planning an Attack on the MEK Conference

Iran's Foreign Minister described reports about the arrest of several individuals, including an Iranian diplomat, on suspicion of 'planning an attack' on the National Council of Resistance conference as 'a sinister plot' and denied any involvement of the Islamic Republic in this matter. Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on Tuesday, July 2, 'How interesting: just as we began a presidential-level trip to Europe, (a report was published that) apparently an Iranian operation occurred and its conspirators were arrested.' Zarif added, 'Iran condemns any violence and terrorism anywhere and is ready to cooperate with all relevant authorities to uncover what is merely a wicked plot to provide false leads.' The Belgian prosecutor's office announced on Tuesday that two individuals of Iranian descent were arrested on suspicion of planning an attack on the National Council of Resistance conference in Paris. Hours after the reports of the arrest of these two individuals, the Belgian federal prosecutor's office reported that a 47-year-old Iranian diplomat working at the Austrian embassy, named 'Asadollah. A', was also arrested in Germany on charges of connection with them. The annual National Council of Resistance meeting was held on Saturday in the suburbs of Paris, attended by several former politicians and officials from the US, Europe, and several regional countries. The National Council of Resistance is an entity composed of the People's Mojahedin Organization and allied groups, with Maryam Rajavi and several members of its leadership based in France. The news of the arrest of this Iranian diplomat was announced before Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, was scheduled to travel to Austria. Rouhani arrived in Switzerland on Tuesday, July 2, for a two-day visit and is set to travel to Austria on Thursday, July 4. Since the 1979 revolution, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been accused of assassinating numerous officials of the former regime and its opponents abroad. For instance, after the assassination of Sadegh Sharafkandi, the Secretary-General of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan and his companions in 1992 at the Mykonos restaurant in Berlin, a court in Germany summoned Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the then-President, Ali Akbar Velayati, the then-Foreign Minister, and Ali Fallahian, the then-Minister of Intelligence. Following this ruling and tensions in relations between Iran and European countries, these countries recalled their ambassadors from Iran, and the 'critical dialogues' between Europe and Iran that had begun during Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's presidency were halted.