Denmark releases more details about Iran assassination plot
Danish government officials have released more details about a plot by Iranian security officials to assassinate several members of the Iranian opposition in Denmark. The European Commission expressed its solidarity with Denmark in Brussels on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, October 31, the Danish Security and Intelligence Agency released more details about the Iranian intelligence officials' plan to assassinate Iranian exiles living in Denmark.
The Danish Security and Intelligence Agency announced that a suspicious man had been taking photos of the residence of “the leader of a separatist movement in Iran” who lives in Denmark. The agency saw a risk of an assassination attempt on the leader and therefore launched a large-scale operation in the east of the country on September 28 to arrest the man who had been disrupting activities in that part of the country.
The 39-year-old Norwegian man of Iranian origin was finally arrested in Gothenburg, Sweden, on October 21. According to Norwegian radio NRK, the man had been in Iran for a short time before his arrest.
Danish authorities believe the man is a spy and has been involved in planning attacks in the country. The Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post reported that the Israeli government had also provided Danish authorities with guidance on the matter.
Accusation against the Islamic Republic
After accusing the Islamic Republic of attempting to assassinate its opponents on Danish soil, the country's Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen recalled its ambassador from Tehran.
Danish Prime Minister Lars Rasmussen also announced that he would discuss possible sanctions against Tehran with Denmark’s “allies and partners” in the European Union on Wednesday, October 31. He called for a “united response” from the EU to Iran’s move.
The Danish Prime Minister met with his British counterpart Theresa May on the sidelines of the Nordic leaders' summit in Oslo and thanked her for supporting his country's positions. "We will stand up to Iran in close cooperation with the UK and other countries," he said.
Danish Prime Minister Lars Rasmussen told reporters in Oslo on Wednesday, October 31, that "Iran must understand that we know what happened and that this country must know that we will not tolerate such incidents."
Although Iran has so far denied all these accusations, the European Union Commission announced in Brussels on Wednesday: "We take any threat to European security very seriously and for this reason we express our solidarity with Denmark, which is a member of the European Union."
The fate of the JCPOA
But the European Commission is still trying to save the JCPOA, an agreement that has been shaken by the US withdrawal. A European Commission spokesperson called the nuclear deal with Iran an important element for security on Wednesday.
The European Commission spokesperson also stressed that respecting the JCPOA does not mean forgetting other issues. Danish Prime Minister Lars Rasmussen also stressed that his country is committed to the JCPOA.
Denmark accused Iran on Tuesday, October 30, of planning an assassination attempt on three Iranians in the country who are members of the Ahwaziyya group, the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz.
Following the September 22 terrorist attack on a military parade in which at least 24 people were killed, Iran's Foreign Ministry accused Denmark, the Netherlands, and Britain of harboring "some" of those it called "members of mercenary terrorist groups responsible for the Ahvaz crime."
Rouhani's Chief of Staff: Some people are seeking to disrupt Iran-Europe relations
On Wednesday, Mahmoud Vaezi, the chief of staff of the Iranian president, also provided explanations regarding Denmark's accusations that the Islamic Republic was planning to carry out assassination operations against several opposition figures in the country, saying: "The president immediately ordered a detailed investigation yesterday. What was reported in the news cannot be accepted. On the eve of November 13 and the start of alleged sanctions, some are seeking to change the atmosphere. Iran-Europe relations and the JCPOA negotiations are progressing well, and some are seeking to disrupt these relations."
Source: DW
