France has expelled an Iranian diplomat in response to a failed plot to carry out a bomb attack at a rally near Paris organized by an exiled Iranian opposition group, diplomatic and security sources say. France's foreign ministry said on October 2 there was no doubt the Iranian intelligence ministry had been behind the plot against the June 30 rally. It subsequently froze assets belonging to Tehran's intelligence services and two Iranian nationals. About a month ago it went a step further, expelling an Iranian diplomat based in Paris, five sources said. Two of the sources said the diplomat was an Iranian intelligence operative under diplomatic cover. A spokesman at the Iranian embassy in Paris did not respond when asked about the diplomat's expulsion. Iran has previously said it had nothing to do with the attempt to carry out a bomb attack at the rally. One Iranian official, who declined to be identified, denied there had been any expulsion.French President Emmanuel Macron's office referred all enquiries to the foreign ministry, which said it would not comment.The fallout from the failed plot has further strained ties between Paris and Tehran, especially as France has been one of the strongest advocates of salvaging the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, which US President Donald Trump withdrew from in May.The initial move by France to impose asset freeze was deemed relatively symbolic since neither diplomat targeted was based in France or had assets in the country.French officials at the time said Paris considered the matter closed, although they were still trying to determine how high up the hierarchy the order to carry out the attack came from.The decision to expel a suspected intelligence operative raises attention to the issue again."Yes, it's true," one diplomat said of the expulsion, declining to give further details because of the sensitivity of the issue. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5380465,00.html Iran denies the expulsion. Iran is not content with meddling in the Middle East, it is trying, cunningly and behind the scenes, to hurt European countries as well.
what does iran have to do with a oposition group they exiled, they probably kicked them out for a reason. I bet france was happy to take them in then it bites in their asses and its Irans fault again
OP I've always thought it was Iran that was hacking into the presidential election, and not Russia at all.
And yet France will continue to support the Nuclear Agreement and push to stop the sanctions against Iran.
I think everyone screwed with the last US elections but mostly the Democrats with complicity from the UK.
Yeah, so I reckon that lets the Russians off the hook? Much more likely it was Iran in the Salisbury thing too - the Russians are far too experienced in the black arts to screw it up - so it was bound to be a second-power nation.
So, a group that protests an autocratic, despotic, government and holds a rally and almost gets bombed, and it's the fault of France? OMG!
And rightfully so, as nuclear weapons are more dangerous and more destabilizing than little bomb attacks.
The Nuclear Agreement was never seen as a prevention to Iran getting nuclear weapons, only a measure that would slow down their progress until a better solution comes along.
No Idea - there are many possibilities. What makes no sense is that the Iranian leadership would condone a terrorist activity in France. Iran is not a supporter of Salafi Islamist groups. They hate each other - by definition. Sure they support groups in Palestine but that is different. It makes no sense. France is not commenting either which is strange. I have not heard anything about this in the US Mainstream media. Given Iran is our favorite whipping boy... . Something stinks. Just because this dude was an Iranian diplomat does not mean he was not co-opted by some group that had its own agenda. It does not mean the Iranian leadership is involved. Where is the motive ? Where is the history of Iran doing this ? Something stinks.
