Suspect's Iranian Origin an Excuse for New Sanctions Against Tehran - Scholars

Danish police have announced that they have arrested a Norwegian citizen of Iranian origin linked to an alleged attack on the head of the Danish branch of the "Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz."

According to the Danish Security and Intelligence Service, Iranian intelligence services supported the incident. In addition, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recalled its ambassador from Tehran. The country's foreign minister, Anders Samuelsen, has announced that Copenhagen would advocate for the EU imposing sanctions on Iran.

READ MORE: Iran Refutes Claims of Iranian Intel's Illegal Activity in Denmark

Commenting on the situation for Sputnik, Sergei Demidenko, an associate professor at the Institute of Social Sciences of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, pointed out that the confrontation between Tehran and Copenhagen is very controversial but minor in terms of the political climate between the EU and Iran.

"There are many ways that the leaders of terrorist and separatist movements could use to get into the country. The primary one is presenting yourself as a member of some illegal political entity. In a country like Denmark, despite commonsense logic, this person will automatically receive the status of a ‘victim of political repression',  as well as the right to political asylum and welfare for a comfortable living.

Generally speaking, Denmark doesn't have a stance on the Iranian issue, unlike the US and the UK.  That is why the Iranian case is very controversial. One may assume that these are political speculations and provocations, organized by some third party."

READ MORE: Iran Summons Netherlands, Denmark, UK Ambassadors After Parade Attack — Reports

The expert pointed out that Denmark's position in the EU is not important enough to induce the union to impose new sanctions.

"Speaking about the EU, its position is not always identical with the US. The union always had an economic interest in Iran, not a political one. It's hard to believe that the EU really needs to conduct an anti-Iranian campaign. This case is unlikely to affect the dynamics of the relationship between the EU and Iran. In some instances, the European Union may support the US against Iran, but not in all domains and not unanimously."

Seyed Hadi Afghahi, an Iranian political scientist, leading expert on the Middle East, diplomat and a former official of the Iranian Embassy in Lebanon, shared the Russian expert's point of view concerning the provocation against Iran possibly being organized by a third party. He added that there is an interested party to this diplomatic conflict. It is the United States.

"The accusations against Iran that have been made recently as part of this conflict are not something new, especially since the new American sanctions package against Iran is to take effect soon. The US is actively preparing the ground for rationalizing new sanctions by trying to denigrate Iran in public opinion, pushing a narrative of us being sponsors of terrorism.

For this, Washington uses its allies. As you remember, there was the case of one of our diplomats being arrested in France for alleged support of terrorism against the leader of ‘Mojahedin-e Khalq'. However, the proof of these accusations hasn't been provided. Now, let's move on to the Danish case. The authorities of this country are accusing a citizen of Iranian origin of trying to organize a terrorist act against the leader of the local wing of the ‘Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz'.

READ MORE: Tehran Voices Protest to Denmark Envoy Over Statements on Iran's Secret Service

The real question here is: why do the leaders of a separatist group that has conducted numerous terrorist attacks in Iran live in Denmark with political immunity? Don't the Danish authorities know that just recently, during a military parade in Ahvaz, members of this group, in cooperation with Daesh, conducted a horrible terrorist attack against innocent Iranian civilians? It is a commonly known fact. In the meantime, Denmark, considering itself a civilized state, grants these terrorists political asylum and hides them on its territory, not revealing this fact to the public.

The second amazing fact about the campaign against Iran is the murder case of Jamal Khashoggi. Despite existing evidence, the authorities of Saudi Arabia are not being blamed by the US or the EU for assassinating the journalist.

The statement of the Danish authorities is a part of the anti-Iran plot prepared by the US to justify new sanctions. They found an innocent person connected to Iran, presented him as a murderer at an international level without having any evidence, and now they are threatening us with new sanctions. While the Saudi journalist case remains open, no European country has so far demonstrated a firm stance towards those responsible for his death and has not demanded to introduce sanctions against Saudi Arabia.

It's quite obvious that the Danish case is an attempt to avoid the responsibilities of the nuclear deal. In other words, the EU will justify its passivity in regards to preserving the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) and not helping Iran by saying that the Islamic Republic is a sponsor of terrorism and could organize attacks in European capitals.

It could be concluded that this is all an intrigue and conspiracy against Iran. We see no practical steps by the EU to preserve the nuclear deal. It looks like Europe, influenced by the US, is trying to take the anti-Iranian position."

Israel in the Middle of the Scandal

Denmark doesn't provide personal information of the "Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz" separatist wing leader and doesn't say how many of the movement's members are on its territory. Tehran rejects the allegation of involvement of its intelligence services in the case.

When Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi commented on the accusations made by Denmark, he said: "When Iran-Europe relations are normalizing, some parties are trying to create division between them." He considered Denmark's sanctions decision to be "unpredictable" and pointed out: "This action was planned by counter-revolutionaries and terrorists in Europe, in the Middle East and in the US. Its purpose is psychological warfare against Iran."

It should be noted that the Israeli Public Broadcasting company Kan reported that Denmark had received information from Mossad that the Iranian intelligence services were planning to liquidate an opposition politician on its territory. 

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Seyed Hadi Afghahi thinks that these actions are a part of the anti-Iranian plot. Tel Aviv's information was falsified and shouldn't be trusted.

"Israel always gives false information to European leaders and heads of Persian Gulf countries, claiming that Iran is going to establish hegemony, conquer several Arab countries, etc. Iran is represented as a dangerous player, a conqueror and a source of all evil. Arab diplomats told me that during his visit to Oman, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said provocative information that Iran was planning to take over Oman in two years.

Israel offered Oman to reinforce cooperation, stop rapprochement with Iran and guaranteed its support in the event of an Iranian invasion; although Iran has been keeping close, friendly ties with Oman for 40 years.

Israel's statements that Iran is building nuclear bombs were ridiculous. The IAEA didn't trust it, saying that Israel's evidence doesn't have value.

It is simply beneficial for Israel to give falsified information to denigrate Iran's image. That is why Israel is always in the middle of the US' attempts to unravel Europe and Iran."

Views and opinions expressed in the article are those of the scholars and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.