Latest European sanctions to complicate already-fragile Iran-EU relations

Tabnak – The recent move by the European Union to impose sanctions against Iran over unproven allegations of terrorist activities, seems to have further complicated the relations between the Islamic Republic and Europe. Responding to the move, Iranian officials accuse the European countries of supporting anti-Iran terrorist organizations.

In this vein, Tehran’s ambassador to the UK lambastes the European states for sheltering anti-Iran terror groups, and says giving freedom of activity to such notorious outfits does not constitute an example of political freedom.

Hamid Baeidinejad made the comments in a post on his Twitter account on Wednesday in reaction to the European Union’s recent move to blacklist two Iranians and a department of the Intelligence Ministry over what it calls links to “foiled attacks” in Europe.

Baeidinejad complained that Europe has turned into a shelter for such terrorist groups as the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO).

“Unfortunately, European countries have become a safe haven and a shelter not only for the MKO, but also for representatives of new terrorist and separatist groups that are openly pursuing Iran’s disintegration,” he said.

Such outfits, he added, have been given an opportunity to freely hatch plots for terror attacks inside Iran and splitting the Islamic Republic, stressing that the Iranian nation does not consider such a policy as “a manifestation of political freedom.”

Separately on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi called the EU’s decision to blacklist the two Iranians and the Directorate for Internal Security at the Iranian Intelligence Ministry “irrational” and “odd” and said the move showed the European countries’ “dishonesty” in fighting terror.

“Instead of blacklisting such terrorist and criminal groups as the Monafeqin (MKO) and al-Ahwaziya, the European Union has allowed them freedom to carry out their inhuman and terrorist activities and even provides them protection, while it levels accusations against Iran, which is the flag-bearer in the fight against terror in the region and to which Europe owes its security,” Qassemi said.

In another related development, Iran’s ambassador to The Hague called on high-ranking officials of the Netherlands to preserve the security of Iranian diplomats and the country’s embassy in the European country after an attack on Iran's embassy building on Wednesday.

The call by Alireza Jahangiri came after supporters of a terrorist group called Al-Ahvaziya attacked the Iranian embassy in The Hague on Wednesday afternoon.

The attackers gathered in front of the embassy building and chanted anti-Iran slogans and threw rocks and bottles. They also tried to climb the adjacent embassy building but were immediately arrested by the Dutch police. According to one of the embassy diplomats, none of the embassy staff was hurt during the incident.

Al-Ahvaziya group is behind a terrorist attack on a military parade in Ahvaz in southwestern Iran which was staged concurrently with nationwide military parades in late September to mark the start of the Sacred Defense Week. Dozens of civilians, including a 4-year old boy were killed in the attack.