TEHRAN, Iran — Iran denies French accusations that one of its diplomats was involved in an alleged bomb plot targeting an exiled opposition group near Paris in June.
“We deny the accusations and forcefully condemn the Iranian diplomat’s arrest and call for his immediate release,” the foreign affairs ministry says in a statement.
It describes the allegations as a conspiracy to “sabotage Iran’s ancient and long-standing relations with France and other significant European countries.”
The statement is released minutes before a French diplomatic source tells AFP that security services believe the Iranian intelligence ministry was behind the foiled plot.
In retaliation, France announces it had frozen assets belonging to two suspected Iranian intelligence operatives as well as Iran’s ministry of security and intelligence.
“This extremely serious act envisaged on our territory could not go without a response,” France’s interior, foreign and economy ministers say in a rare joint statement.
The opposition meeting allegedly targeted was also attended by leading US figures, including close allies of US President Donald Trump.
— AFP
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