Summoning of the Polish Chargé d'Affaires in Iran; Cancellation of Polish Film Week in Tehran

The Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the Polish Chargé d'Affaires in Tehran in protest against a conference that is set to be held by the United States in Poland. The Iranian Foreign Ministry threatened Poland that if no 'immediate compensatory action' is taken, 'the Islamic Republic will be forced to take reciprocal measures.' Meanwhile, the Cinema Organization canceled the 'Polish Film Week in Tehran,' which was scheduled to take place from January 27 to February 2 in Tehran and subsequently in Isfahan, Shiraz, and Mashhad, in response to the conference. A global summit hosted by the United States is set to take place on February 13 and 14 in Poland. According to Interfax news agency, Mr. Pompeo stated that the aim of this summit is to 'promote stability and freedom in the Middle East with an emphasis on countering Iran's regional influence.' Israeli Channel 10 reported that Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, has been invited to the international conference focused on Iran. According to this report, in addition to the foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan, who have full political relations with Israel, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and several other countries have also been invited to the conference in Poland. In response to these developments, the IRNA news agency reported on Sunday, January 13, that the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned Wichach Unlet, the Polish Chargé d'Affaires in Tehran, in protest against the holding of the 'Peace and Security in the Middle East' conference. According to this report, the head of the First Department of Eastern Europe at the Iranian Foreign Ministry described the holding of this summit as 'a hostile move' by the United States against the Islamic Republic of Iran and stated that 'Poland is expected to refrain from cooperating with the United States in holding this conference.' He also called for 'immediate compensatory action' from the Polish government and emphasized that 'otherwise, the Islamic Republic will be forced to take reciprocal measures.' According to this news agency, the Polish Chargé d'Affaires emphasized during the meeting that this summit is 'not anti-Iranian' and that Poland's positions differ from those of the United States. Previously, Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian Foreign Minister, had also protested the holding of this summit. Meanwhile, Eshaq Jahangiri, the First Vice President of Iran, stated on Sunday that U.S. officials 'plan to hold this summit out of impotence' to perhaps force the Iranian nation to submit to their demands, but 'the only way for their salvation is to return from the wrong path they have taken so far.' U.S. officials claim that they have launched a 'maximum pressure' campaign to ultimately bring the Islamic Republic back to the negotiating table, negotiations that are expected to lead to a more comprehensive agreement than the JCPOA.