The Iranian regime has been lamenting the fact that its very own chosen terrorist-in-chief for Europe is locked up in a Belgian prison for at least another year.

In its “Country Reports on Terrorism 2018” released on November 1, 2019, the US State Department reported: “Iran remains the world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism.”

The annual report of the US State Department says: “The regime has spent nearly one billion dollars per year to support terrorist groups that serve as its proxies and expand its malign influence across the globe,”

Emphasizing the International terrorism of the mullahs, the report says the Iranian regime has funded international terrorist groups such as Hizballah, and Hamas.

The report says: “It also has engaged in its own terrorist plotting around the world, particularly in Europe. In January, German authorities investigated 10 suspected Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps  Qods Force operatives.”

Referring to the Iranian regime’s attempt to bomb the annual gathering of the Iranian opposition, Mujahedin-e Khalq (PMOI.MEK), in June 2018 attended by Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi and hundreds of international lawmakers and personalities as well as some 100,000 supporters of the Iranian democratic opposition, the State Department’s report adds: “In the summer, authorities in Belgium, France, and Germany thwarted an Iranian plot to bomb a political rally near Paris, France,”

Maryam Rajavi: Terrorism and Warmongering Are the Strategic Means of Iranian Regime’s Survival- Part I https://t.co/WDlGLzefoS#MEK #Iran @USAdarFarsi

— MEK Iran (Mujahedin-e Khalq) (@MEK_Iran) October 31, 2019

“On June 30, French and Belgian authorities arrested several individuals – including an Iranian official based in Austria – suspected of planning to attack an event organized by the Mujahedin-e-Khalq in Villepinte. In October, France imposed sanctions on two Iranian operatives and the internal directorate of the Iranian intelligence agency (MOIS) in connection with the covert terrorist plot,” the report noted.

German authorities extradited an Iranian diplomat terrorist, Assadollah Assadi, to Belgium on October 9, 2019. Assadi was arrested in Germany pursuant to the foiled plot to bomb the MEK Villepinte rally in France.

The Iranian regime has a long history of terrorist activities across the globe. An Iranian operative was arrested for planning an assassination in Denmark, in October.

Referring to the regime’s attempt to bomb the Persian New Year festival organized at the compound of the main Iranian opposition group Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), the report says that Albania expelled two Iranian officials for plotting terrorist attacks in December.

The US Embassy in Tirana said later: “Iran has exploited its diplomatic presence in Tirana to scheme for the destruction of its political opponents, seeking to answer reasoned arguments w/ the cowardice of hidden detonators. Albania has shown it won’t tolerate Iranian terrorists on its soil.”

Demonstration in front of @GermanyDiplo by #NCRI & #MEK supporters demanding #Germany to expel the #Iran-ian diplomat terrorist Assadollah Assadi who ordered terrorists to attack the #FreeIran2018 Gathering to be expelled to #Belgium #ExpelIranDiplomatTerrorists pic.twitter.com/0978TLejXc

— MEK Iran (Mujahedin-e Khalq) (@MEK_Iran) July 11, 2018

Urging the West to expel all Iranian terrorist diplomats, MEK asked the US to designate MOIS as a terrorist organization. MEK also repeatedly urged the EU states to put IRGC and MOIS on their black-lists emphasizing an International front against the Iranian regime’s terrorism.

Albania’s security institutions discovered an active cell of the Iranian Regime’s terrorist Quds force, Albanian General Police Director Ardi Veliu announced last Wednesday.

The Quds, the extraterritorial section of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), was activated to take action against the main Iranian opposition group, the Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), which moved to Albania in 2016 to avoid persecution by the Regime.

Albania Reveals a Terrorist Plot Against #MEK
https://t.co/UqOpbUgFGm#Iran #FreeIran @USAdarFarsi

— MEK Iran (Mujahedin-e Khalq) (@MEK_Iran) October 27, 2019

Veliu explained that the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) agent Alireza Naghashzadeh, who was pretending to be a former MEK member, was an active member of the Quds Force.

The MEK has repeatedly warned that the MOIS uses agents who claim to be former MEK members to disguise efforts to gather security-sensitive information on the MEK; something reported by the Library of Congress in its 2012 report.

In March 2018, during a celebration to mark the Iranian New Year (Norouz), the Iranian Regime launched a terrorist plot against the MEK, which was thankfully foiled by Albanian authorities. That December, Albania expelled Iran’s ambassador, Gholamhossein Mohammadnia, and another diplomat for “damaging its national security”.

Mohammadnia, who was apparently a high-ranking member of the MOIS, was assigned to the Iranian embassy in Tirana after the MEK members were transferred there in 2016. Before that, he served on Iran’s nuclear-negotiating team in order to secure the sanctions relief under the nuclear deal.

This planned attack on the MEK in Albania came shortly before a plot to bomb the annual Free Iran gathering held in Paris by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and MEK in June 2018. The plan was organized by Vienna-based Iranian “diplomat” Assadollah Assadi, who hired three operatives and provided the explosives. All four were caught by European authorities before the attack could take place.

In October of that year, France said there was no doubt that the Iranian intelligence ministry was behind the bomb plot. It then seized the assets of Tehran’s intelligence services and two Iranian nationals, before expelling an Iranian diplomat.

 

#Iran‘ian opposition @iran_policy issues a statement on Tehran’s recent terrorist plot seeking to target Saturday’s opposition convention in Parishttps://t.co/Klmt8CeV7c

— People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) July 2, 2018

The MEK has repeatedly warned Western countries about the dangers posed by Iran’s embassies in their countries, saying they serve as “terrorist nests,” and urged the closure of the embassies and expulsion of the diplomats.

They even held a press conference earlier this year, which focused on the major roles played by Iranian diplomats in assassination plots targeting opposition members in Europe.  During this conference, the MEK highlighted that a 1997 declaration by the European Union called for the Regime’s intelligence operatives to be expelled from Europe and no visas granted to Iranians associated with Iran’s intelligence and security services.

Albanian Police Chief revealed, this Wednesday  23 October 2019, a terrorist plot in detail against the MEK’s headquarters in Tirana planed by the Quds Force.

Police chief Ardi Veliu said the foreign wing of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (Quds Force) operated an “active terrorist cell” targeting Mujahedin-e Khalq or MEK group members in Albania.

Albania Daily News reported that the Albanian Police Chief Officer said that the Albanian Police prevented a terrorist attack against Iranian opposition in Albania.

New details on Tehran’s terror plot against Iranian opposition MEK members in Albania#Iranhttps://t.co/BrCjWVJ8T9

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 24, 2019

Iranian regime’s Quds Force operative named “Peyman” had organized terrorist agents to launch a series of terrorist acts against the MEK in Europe. Reuters on 20 October reported:

“Albanian police foiled a number of planned attacks last year by Iranian agents against an exiled Iranian opposition group living in Albania, a senior officer said on Wednesday.”

“The Albanian authorities have identified these individuals and thanks to intelligence from informants inside the criminal organizations have prevented the plan (attack) of March 2018 and the eventual planning of attacks by organized crime members … on behalf of Iran,” Reuters added.

Assadollah Assadi, an Iranian diplomat terrorist, was arrested for a foiled bombing plot against the MEK in France on June 2018. He was the Iranian regime embassy’s third secretary in Vienna. He handled a high explosive device to two MOIS agents in Belgium to bomb the June 2018 gathering of Iranians in Paris. Assadi remains in prison in Belgium since he was arrested 16 months ago.

Reuters reported that France said in October 2018 there was no doubt Iran’s intelligence ministry was behind the  June plot to attack the NCRI’s annual rally outside Paris.

Albania expelled the Iranian regime’s ambassador and another top diplomat for “damaging its national security” last year.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran Committee on Security and Counterterrorism on October 24, 2019, stated:

” Whatever the regime’s ploys, as security services in Germany, the Netherlands and other European countries have stated, the MEK and the NCRI are the main targets of the demonization campaign, espionage, and terrorism by mullahs’ Intelligence Ministry and the Revolutionary Guards.”

Ali Safavi, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said:

“It is time that the Iranian regime’s embassies in Europe, including the one in Albania, be shut down. They are not diplomatic centers, but direct and facilitate the regime’s terrorist operations abroad.”

Musa Afshar, from the Foreign Affairs Committee of NCRI, said yesterday in an interview with the Sky News TV:

“We ask all EU member states and particularly Albania to prosecute all agents of Quds Force in their countries, shut down Iranian regime’s embassies, and expel Iranian agents.”

The MEK on different occasions has stressed that all agents of the MOIS and the Quds Force must be prosecuted and expelled from European soil, the MOIS and the IRGC must be listed by the EU as terrorist organizations, and all Iranian regime’s agents must be expelled.

Simple conclusion: the fake news published by DER SPIEGEL in Germany, TV. Channel 4 in Britain and recently NBC News in the US, all in favor of the fascist mullahs, fuel terrorism against Iranian dissidents and particularly the MEK. What revealed by the Albanian Police is just one example.

#NBC Article: “Giuliani's work for Iranian group…”Is #FakeNews. Read more:https://t.co/5qzF5eB62C#StopYellowJournalism

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) October 24, 2019

Leashing the mullahs, Europe and the US granted many concessions to the Iranian regime in the past three decades. This “generosity”, sadly, emboldened this regime to expand its terrorism and violation of human rights and also to deal with its deadly economic and most importantly political crises.

An Iranian terrorist, Ghafour Darjazi, had a key role in the assassination of Dr. Abulrahman Ghasemlo, the Secretary-General of Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran in July 1989. He escaped justice; in a suspicious deal, along with other terrorists, when he was extradited to Iran by Austrian officials. Three years later, again, under the alias Amir-Mansour Bozorgian he participated in the assassination of Mohammadreza Naqdi, the representative of the main Iranian opposition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), in Italy; he was the field commander of the assassination scene.

Ghafour Darjazi, also known as Amir-Mansour Bozorgian or Mustafa Moddaber, served the Iranian regime in many positions including executive manager of the Iranian National Security Council, head of the Iranian National TV’s security, and head of Parliament’s security.

After the assassination of the representative of NCRI in Switzerland, Dr. Kazem Rajavi, brother of Massoud Rajavi, the leader of the Iranian resistance,  the west did a dirty deal for the release of the terrorists. That same evening, Akhundzadeh and Hadi Najafabadi, along with a number of other terrorists, returned to Iran on a direct Iran Air flight.

Three years later, on November 14, 1992, the German secret services informed France that two Iranian secret agents had crossed the Strasbourg border into France and that the names of the two were Mahmoud Sajjadian and Ali Kamali. The Swiss wanted them in connection with the killing of an Iranian opposition figure. The two men arrived in France with Iranian passports under the names Ahmad Taheri and Mohsen Sharifi Esfahani on Iranian passports. On November 15, 1992, France arrested the two men. In the last days of 1992 (January 1993), a three-member delegation from the regime went from Tehran to Paris, and after a dirty deal on January 8, the two terrorists were taken to Tehran. On December 29, the French Foreign Ministry sent a note to Switzerland that the two Iranians would not be extradited to Switzerland for the sake of French national interests.

Campaign Coordinator for Change in Iran, Struan Stevenson, in an article in United Press reported on the failure of European policy towards the Iranian regime and the terrorist acts of the regime in Europe and wrote:

The main policy of export and import to Iran was via Intex It can, and will, easily lift US sanctions. But that didn’t work. On June 6, a diplomat from the Iranian regime’s embassy in Vienna in Bavaria was arrested on terrorism charges. Assadullah Assadi is said to have delivered over 500 grams of explosives and a detonator to an Iranian couple from Belgium and ordered them to go to Paris and bomb a large gathering organized by the National Council of Resistance of Iran and the MEK. 7,000 people were going to be blown up, including prominent figures such as Rudy Giuliani and Newt Gingrich and Bill Richardson.

All warnings of the MEK about the Iranian regime’s terrorism has turned into bitter reality. If one day the west could turn a blind eye on the mullahs’ terrorism, now it is hard to do so. The Iranian regime has dragged terrorism on the European soil and it is hard to ignore it anymore. The policy of appeasement lost many of its allies and this policy is on the verge of collapse.

Orally, there have been many hollow promises by Europeans; however, on the ground, nothing is tangible for the Iranian regime. Clearly, the balance of power has changed and the Iranian regime does not have the upper hand in any negotiation and cannot take the world hostage by its terrorism anymore.

The Iranian regime did its best to release Asadi, its diplomat- terrorist, and his accomplices, but all its efforts were in vain and they are still in custody; the Belgium prosecutors’ documents are undeniable.

While on the one hand, the policy of appeasement has failed and its days are numbered, and on the other hand, the world would not be blackmailed by the Iranian regime, for the west, betting on a dead horse is not a wise decision.

Staff Writer

In an article entitled, “Embrace of Iran’s Foreign Minister Creates an Opening for Propaganda and Terrorism” (Town Hall, September 6, 2019), former U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain and the State Department Deputy Spokesperson, Adam Ereli discussed the recent G7 and Europian effort to facilitate U.S.- Iran dialogue.

“The Iranian regime was a major topic of discussion during the G-7 Summit in Biarritz last month. But neither France nor any other European country should be helping the murderous regime to acquire a larger presence on the international stage. Tehran’s support for terrorism goes beyond the Middle East and threatens both Europe and the U.S.,” wrote Amb. Ereli.

'Embrace of Iran’s Foreign Minister Creates an Opening for Propaganda and Terrorism,' writes Amb. Adam Ereli (@erelija)#MaximumPressure #Terrorism https://t.co/p6L3IYNyGp

— NCRI-U.S. Rep Office (@NCRIUS) September 7, 2019

Referring to the recent terrorist activities of the Iranian regime, particularly, the bombing plot against the great gathering of the Iranian opposition (NCRI) in Paris last year, Amb. Ereli added,

“In the summer of 2018, two Iranian operatives were stopped in Belgium, as they attempted to carry high-explosives to a rally that had been organized outside Paris. Tens of thousands of Iranian expatriates from throughout the world had gathered there for a conference. Many of the hundreds of international dignitaries were prominent figures in politics, security, and academia from France, the US, and dozens of other countries.”

“The plot was neutralized, as were at least five other incidents stretching from Albania to America. The Paris bomb plot led immediately to the arrest of an Iranian diplomat, Assadollah Assadi, who was found to be the mastermind. A French intelligence investigation determined that he had been acting on explicit orders directly from the highest levels of the regime. Moreover, he was using the cover provided by his diplomatic status and Iran’s embassies abroad to disguise the regime’s terrorism.  Germany extradited Assadi to Belgium, where he and three of his agents are now awaiting trial.” Mr. Ereli added

Amb. Ereli argues that Zarif’s invitation to G7 demonstrated the international community’s indifference toward Iranian regime’s terrorism and gave the regime’s globetrotting propagandist an opportunity to put a smiling face on intolerable actions and to whitewash a 40-year history of terrorist financing and human rights violations.

“The French attitude could be an undermining the US imposed sanctions on Zarif and the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)”, he noted.

The former State Department Spokesperson also highlighted the role of Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) in exposing the Iranian regime’s terrorism, which, in his words, explains the hostility of Iranian regime towards the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK)

“This has always been the position of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and its main constituent group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK), which explains why the Iranian regime is determined to eliminate this group and its members.  In addition to the attempt to blow up the NCRI’s rally outside Paris and attacks against the MEK’s headquarters in Albania last year, the government of Iran executed an estimated 30,000 MEK political prisoners in the summer of 1988. The fact that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei publicly acknowledged the role of the MEK in organizing the anti-regime protests that rocked all parts of Iran in 2018 is a telling admission of the group’s ability to rattle the regime.”

The solution lies in the hands of the Iranian people and Resistance who seek the overthrow of this dictatorship. #FreeIran #Iran pic.twitter.com/ua278poBSO

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) September 7, 2019

Instead of embracing Zarif, the mouthpiece of the terrorist regime of Iran, the international community must hold him and other terrorist officials of mullahs accountable for their crimes and as Mr. Ereli noted

“If Mr. Zarif must appear at international gatherings, he should be challenged aggressively over his government’s ongoing record of criminal activity. Anything less will encourage Iran to act with increasing impunity, with devastating consequences.”

Staff writer

In an op-ed published on the Euractiv website, former Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi argued that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s trip to Brussels on September 2-3 offers an excellent opportunity to address the global threat posed by the Iranian regime.

#Pompeo’s visit to Brussels is an opportunity for a unified Iran strategy @EURACTIV https://t.co/hm3OnW1456 @GlobalCRL

— Giulio Terzi (@GiulioTerzi) September 3, 2019

Bellicose Behavior

“One of the main challenges is how to deal with the Iranian regime and its bellicose behavior,” wrote Terzi. He cited the regime’s increasing aggression toward commercial shipping vessels in the Middle East, including the seizure of a British-flagged vessel in mid-July.

“The United Kingdom responded appropriately by directing its warships in the region to shadow such vessels for the foreseeable future. But Europe has seemed hesitant to recognize the Iranian threat as extending to them,” Terzi wrote.

“The EU may be able to fool itself into believing that the naval activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have been directed only against the US and Britain, even though seized and damaged tankers have born the flags of various countries including Norway and Japan. But no such self-deception can be justified when it comes to the threat of terrorism originating in or backed by Tehran,” he stressed.

Now is the time for EU to speak out and address the regime’s terrorism and cyber attacks in Europe@FedericaMog has not spoken out as voice of Europe against #Iran’s terrorism in Europe in elsewhere.#ExpelIranDiplomatTerrorists @GermanyDiplo @focusonline@eu_eeas pic.twitter.com/dX2T5Pdmbe

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) October 8, 2018

The former Italian Foreign Minister explained that at least six terrorist plots and assassinations by the Iranian regime were foiled by Western authorities in 2018. The targets ranged from opposition groups in the United States to the MEK’s headquarters in Albania.

Terrorist Plot on 2018 Free Iran Gathering

The most significant of the regime’s 2018 terrorist plots involved an Iranian-Belgian couple who were arrested with 500 kilograms of TATP explosives. The couple acting under the orders of regime diplomat Assadollah Assadi, were enroute to the annual Free Iran gathering of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in Villepinte, France where they planned to set off the explosives.

The Free Iran gathering was attended by 100,000 Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) supporters, as well as hundreds of high-ranking politicians and dignitaries from around the world. Terzi was in attendance.

Regime diplomat Assadollah Assadi was arrested for masterminding the attack and eventually extradited to Belgium, where he and three accomplices are currently awaiting trial. The plot was planned by officials at the highest levels of the regime, wrote Terzi.

“Had the plot been successful, it would have not only taken place on European soil but would have almost certainly claimed European lives. If one is aware of this incident, one cannot deny that the Iranian threat to the international community is genuine, severe, and far-reaching,” Terzi emphasized.

“To be more precise, no one can deny this conclusion in good faith. But that won’t necessarily stop any given policymaker from denying it anyway. In advance of Iran’s Foreign Minister visiting Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly told his security chiefs to keep silent about last year’s terror plot. Now, in the wake of visits to Europe by the top diplomats from both Iran and the US, it is up to the incoming EU leadership to determine whose attitude toward Iran carries more weight: those who are explicitly covering up its crimes, or those who aspire to hold it to account,” he continued.

France Dangles $15 Billion Bailout for Iran in Effort to Save Nuclear Deal https://t.co/tAKaEa93dX @GlobalCRL @HandsOffCain_En

— Giulio Terzi (@GiulioTerzi) September 3, 2019

“The answer to this question will yield both short and long-term consequences. In the first place, it may determine whether the diplomat-terrorist who masterminded last year’s Paris bomb plot is actually punished in accordance with the charges he is now facing in Belgium. And the message of his prosecution may, in turn, set the stage for a proper, multilateral response to further Iranian terrorism, at a time when the regime is threatening Western entities like the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, subjecting them to ‘sanctions’ that might better be understood as fatwas,” Terzi argued.

Continuing attempts by the regime in Iran to intimidate @FDD, an American think tank—a THINK TANK—must be condemned by all freedom-loving people around the world. The U.S. does not take these threats lightly, and will hold the regime and its “apparatuses” to account.

— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) August 29, 2019

“Speaking more broadly, decisions in the coming days may determine the future of US-EU relations. The Europeans need to recognize the need for confronting Iranian threats and guaranteeing that the regime faces consequences for criminal behavior,” Terzi concluded.

Staff Writer

The Iranian regime poses a threat to global security which cannot be ignored by the international security, writes Ambassador Ken Blackwell in a column published on the Townhall website on September 2nd. In his new column, the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission argues that policymakers have not factored in the threat posed by the Iranian regime, citing the multiple foiled terrorist attacks on European soil last year as evidence of the international community’s refusal to take serious action despite serious threats.

The 2018 Free Iran Gathering

Blackwell cited the 2018 Free Iran gathering as his prime example of the regime’s terrorist activities in Europe. The annual gathering of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in Villepinte, France attracted 100,000 Mujahedin-e Khalgh(PMOI/ MEK )supporters, along with hundreds of prominent politicians and dignitaries from around the world.

“It also nearly attracted two aspiring bombers, who were fortunately stopped on their way to the gathering on June 30, 2018,” wrote Blackwell. “Shortly thereafter, a senior Iranian “diplomat” named Assadollah Assadi was also arrested and identified as the mastermind of the plot,” he continued.

“The operation leading to these arrests was a testament to European authorities’ awareness of the persistent threat emanating from Tehran. A subsequent investigation by French intelligence left no doubt about the fact that Assadi and his Iranian-Belgian assets were acting upon orders from the highest ranks of the regime,” Blackwell explained.

 

 

Previous Plots

Blackwell pointed out that the Paris plot was not the first attempt by the regime to target the MEK. Three months prior, regime operatives attempted to attack Ashraf-3, the MEK’s headquarters in Albania. At least four other terrorist plots by the regime were uncovered in 2018.

Assadollah Assadi the Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) station chief in Vienna-also the head of MOIS for all Europe-was the mastermind & caught delivering a powerful bomb to two other Iranian agents on the day of June Paris event. Germany expelled Assadi to Belgium to stand trial. pic.twitter.com/ATw4SaYwy5

— NCRI-U.S. Rep Office (@NCRIUS) November 3, 2018

A Limited Response

Blackwell argued that the EU did not take sufficient action in response to the terrorist attempts in 2018. “The EU only saw fit to impose limited sanctions on the Iranian secret service and a handful of its known agents. But even this gesture was ultimately undermined by a broader European strategy that involves the continuation of conciliatory policies for dealing with the regime,” he wrote.

He also noted that Assadi is not the only regime diplomat working as a terrorist operative, writing: “[Assadi’s] arrest prompted a spokesperson for the Belgian police to affirm that almost all Iranian diplomats play a role in the Iranian secret service.”

Blackwell further stated that Iran’s own officials have acknowledged the link between paramilitary and diplomatic entities within the regime. “In a recent interview with Iranian state media, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi declared that the Foreign Ministry, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the Ministry of Intelligence and Security all pursue the same objectives,” he wrote.

Zarif: Soleimani and I have great cooperation and meet every weekhttps://t.co/zm1tzt5X6S#Iran #IRGC #IRGCTerrorists pic.twitter.com/r9p8NWF3f1

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) September 3, 2019

Harsher Sanctions

Blackwell emphasized that even the U.S. which has imposed strict sanctions on the Iranian regime should go further. “Comprehensive sanctions on the IRGC were a long time coming, but now they should be extended to also include the entire Ministry of Intelligence and the entire Foreign Ministry, rather than just Mohammad-Javad Zarif, the regime’s foreign minister,” he argued.

“Bombings, assassinations, and hostage-taking are all part of the Iranian regime’s DNA, and no major government institution can be thought of as isolated from the use of terrorism as a form of statecraft. So the only way to fully address the relevant threat is by isolating the regime as a whole, pending a far-reaching change in its behavior or its imminent collapse,” Blackwell continued.

“If the U.S. hasn’t gone far enough toward this goal, then the nations of Europe have even more ground to make up. In the wake of last year’s thwarted terror plots, an appropriate policy would involve dramatically expanding economic sanctions as well as expelling Iranian diplomats. But in the case of France and certain other EU member states, such a strategy cannot realistically be adopted until those nations’ leaders recognize the fact that much of the world is facing persistent danger from the Iranian regime’s undiminished malign activities,” Blackwell concluded.

Staff writer

 

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), delivered a message at the Paris District 1 City Hall on Friday at a conference entitled

“Iran: Massacred Human Rights: 31st anniversary of the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in 1988.”

Mrs. Rajavi’s speech focused on the international community’s failure to hold the regime accountable for its malign actions, including the 1988 Massacre. She argued that this policy of appeasement places the entire world at risk.

Mrs. Rajavi explained that the 1998 Massacre occurred as the result of a fatwa writing by regime founder Ruhollah Khomeini ordering the execution of all prisoners in Iran who remained loyal to the  MEK. Many of those who were executed had already completed their sentences, said Mrs. Rajavi.

Now, what is the solution and what is the proper approach to this regime? #1988Massacre #NoImpunity4Mullahs #InternationalDayoftheDisappeared #Iran https://t.co/FnzTnVG2Ro pic.twitter.com/oHHaBcrUSZ

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) August 30, 2019

“Khomeini’s death decree triggered a wave of killings in prisons across Iran to the extent that virtually no prisoner remained in any of the wards. But this was not enough for Khomeini. He ordered the re-arrest of throngs of PMOI [MEK] supporters who had been previously released from prison. These arrestees were also swiftly executed,” she added.

Thirty-one years later, the people responsible for this crime are among the highest-ranking officials within the regime. Former executioners now hold the positions of Head of the Judiciary and Minister of Justice, said Mrs. Rajavi.

“The regime also continues to refuse giving information on the victims of the 1988 massacre and the families of those massacred are still being persecuted. Despite the passage of 31 years, they still do not know where their loved ones are buried,” she said.

The regime continues to refuse giving information on the victims of the #1988Massacre and the families of those massacred are still being persecuted. Despite passage of 31 years, they still do not know where their loved ones are buried. #NoImpunity4Mullahs #EnforcedDisappearance pic.twitter.com/FGyECEioBc

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) August 30, 2019

Mrs. Rajavi further noted that:

 “Just last month, Mostafa Pour Mohammadi, one of the key members of the Death Commissions carrying out the 1988 massacre, said, “The Mujahedin-e Khalq (PMOI/ MEK) have desecrated the (regime’s) image throughout the world… Now is the time to fight the PMOI… The PMOI/MEK is the most treacherous enemies of this nation and they must be dealt with one by one.”

Active Pursuit of Massacre

Mrs. Rajavi said that the mullahs’ fear of being overthrown has driven their active pursuit of manslaughter and massacre. She pointed to last year’s foiled bombing attack of the annual Free Iran gathering in Villepinte, France, which led to the arrest of an Iranian regime diplomat and four mercenaries. They are all currently awaiting trial in Belgium.

“This incident proved that the regime is still pursuing Khomeini’s evil intentions and the policy of massacring their opponents,” she said.

“On the international level, this policy amounts to meddling in the region, warmongering, massacre of the people of Syria, attacks on oil tankers, jeopardizing the safety of international waters, terrorism, and hostage-taking,” Mrs. Rajavi added.

The Solution

Mrs. Rajavi said that the Iranian regime must be dealt with by the Iranian people who seek to overthrow the dictatorship.

“The international community will also have to recognize the desire of the Iranian people and Resistance if they want to get rid of the epicenter of fundamentalism and terrorism in the world. They must not grant concessions to the mullahs,” she emphasized.

“These relations are not only morally reprehensible but are politically wrong because they encourage and embolden the mullahs in blackmailing, hostage-taking and terrorism. Then, in return for massive concessions granted by the West, they take only one step back. In this way, European governments are not only hurting themselves but are putting global peace and security at risk,” she explained.

Mrs. Rajavi stressed that the international community must investigate the 1988 Massacre as part of ending the policy of appeasement. She cited a December 2018 report about the 1988 Massacre by Amnesty International, which stated: “Iran is facing a crisis of impunity… The succession of atrocities in Iran is intractably linked to the impunity that has been enjoyed by the Iranian authorities.”

“The time has come for the international community to end three decades of impunity for the clerical regime’s leaders in accounting for their crimes,” said Mrs. Rajavi.

She urged the international community to demand that the dossier of human rights violation in Iran, particularly the 1988 Massacre, be referred to the U.N. Security Council. She further asked the U.N. to launch an international mission to investigate the 1988 Massacre.

“Khamenei and other leaders of the Iranian regime must face justice for committing crimes against humanity,” Mrs. Rajavi said.

“And the world must recognize the Iranian people’s right to resist and fight for the overthrow of the ruling religious fascism,” she added.

Staff writer

The visits of Iranian regime Foreign Minister Zarif to France and Nordic countries triggered a crisis in the regime.

On his visit to Sweden, reacting to protests by the MEK Iran supporters against his presence in Sweden, Zarif revealed his terrorist nature and said: “Ask any of those individuals standing outside to attend any meetings with Iranians (meaning the regime’s Revolutionary Guards and agents) and then see whether they would survive. They would not stay alive for a minute…. They cannot even stay in Iraq because the people of Iraq (meaning the regime’s proxies in that country) will eat them alive.”