Deputy Director Alireza Jafarzadeh spoke about the regime’s reasons for planning such activities and the agencies that are involved and the role that each one plays.
Last year there was a significant escalation of the regime’s malign activities in Europe and in the United States. As a result, several regime “diplomats” and members of the MOIS were arrested and jailed for terrorist and espionage activities.
Jafarzadeh spoke mainly about ten separate incidents and confirmed that the MOIS and Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs are directly involved, emphasising that attacks are not planned by rogue agents. Indeed, the highest ranks in Tehran are involved.
He explained that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei approves all decisions. Plots are signed off by the Supreme National Security Council, headed by President Rouhani. While the IRGC’s Quds Force takes the lead on terrorist plots across the Middle East, the MOIS is in charge of terrorism in Europe.
Foreign embassies are used as intelligence centres where agents are given cover, documentation, weapons, and the all-important diplomatic immunity. The embassies will intervene if terrorists are arrested and the issue will be whitewashed with the suspects taken out of custody and sent back to Iran.
A number of PMOI members have been residing in Albania which has become a point of interest for the regime. A plot to bomb a Nowruz (new year) celebration was foiled by authorities and two regime agents were arrested. Jafarzadeh explained that a senior MOIS official became the regime’s ambassador in Albania to prepare for terror attacks.
European authorities also foiled a plot to bomb the opposition’s Free Iran gathering in Paris last year where a number of foreign dignitaries were due to attend, as well as 100,000 supporters. The regime diplomat that was residing in Austria was stripped of diplomatic immunity and is in German custody. The regime is taking great efforts to get him send back to Iran.
Jafarzadeh also pointed to the involvement of foreign ministers, including current minister Zarif who, as a member of the Supreme National Security Council, is aware of the regime’s terrorist activity. Jafarzadeh said that Zarif should be arrested for his involvement, pointing out that of all the regime’s diplomats that were expatriated back to Iran only one remains jailed.
Moving forward, Jafarzadeh believes that the Supreme Leader and his office as well as the MOIS should be designated as a foreign terrorist organisations (FTO) and that Iranian agents in Europe should be prosecuted. He also suggested that the regime’s embassies in Europe should be shut down. Jafarzadeh said that the regime has taken advantage of diplomatic relations to plot terrorist attacks in the West.
He further went on to explain that the real solution to the regime’s belligerence is not sanctions, but regime change that is effectuated by the people.
