Denmark accuses Iran of political ‘assassination plot’ on its soil

Denmark accuses Iran of political ‘assassination plot’ on its soil

Denmark accuses Iran of political ‘assassination plot’ on its soil

Danish authorities have accused the Iranian agents of attempting to carry out a plot to assassinate an Iranian-Arab opposition figure on Danish soil.

Denmark accuses Iran of political 'assassination plot' on its soil
Denmark accuses Iran of political ‘assassination plot’ on its soil

The alleged attack had meant to target the leader of the Danish branch of the separatist Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz (ASMLA), Danish Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anne Møller Ege told CNN.

The group, which Iran classifies as a terror organization, advocates for an independent Arab state within the Iranian province of Khuzestan.

Denmark has summoned Iran’s ambassador, Morteza Moradian, following the alleged “assassination” attempt by an Iranian intelligence agency, which the Nordic country’s foreign minister called “completely unacceptable.”

“An Iranian intelligence agency has planned an assassination on Danish soil. This is completely unacceptable. In fact, the gravity of the matter is difficult to describe. That has been made crystal clear to the Iranian ambassador in Copenhagen today,” Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen, said in a statement released Tuesday.

The Foreign Ministry says it will be discussing “the issue of an Iranian intelligence agency’s illegal activities in Europe” with international allies.

Iran blamed ASMLA for carrying out an attack at the end of September which targeted an Iranian military parade, leaving at least 29 people dead and wounding more than 70 others.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry had summoned its ambassadors in the Netherlands and Denmark after that incident, as well as and British charge d’affaires, saying Tehran expressed “severe protest” over those countries for hosting “members of a terrorist group that was behind the terror attack in Ahvaz.”

A person was arrested in Gothenburg in relation to the alleged attempted assassination on October 21, a spokesman from the Swedish Security Service told CNN. The person has been extradited to Denmark, the spokesman said.

Iran ‘strongly’ rejects claim

Iran “strongly” dismissed the claim made by Denmark Tuesday.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi dismissed the claim and said it was in line “with the enemies’ plots and conspiracies against the good and ever-growing Iran-Europe relations under present grave and special conditions,” according to state-run IRNA news.

Denmark will push for new EU-wide sanctions against Iran following the suspected assassination attempt, the ministry confirmed to CNN, adding that the government would be discussing “the issue of an Iranian intelligence agency’s illegal activities in Europe” with international allies.

Following an address by the Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen, the ministry also said that its ambassador to Iran had been recalled from Tehran for consultations.

Read More: CNN

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