Al-Monitor - Amidst a backdrop of accusations against Iran of attempting assassinations in Europe, a former Iranian ambassador has caused an uproar by calling those charges hard to deny and suggesting the possibility that they could be at the hands of rogue agents.

During a Jan. 22 interview with ISNA, Ali Majedi � a former ambassador to Germany recently forced to retire due to an Iranian law barring the employment of those who are technically retired for senior positions � was asked whether the accusations of terrorism and plots to assassinate opposition figures in Europe were more political and an excuse for the European Union to delay the creation of a special purpose vehicle (SPV). An SPV is designed to facilitate lawful trade between Iran and the world, bypassing US sanctions for the purpose of keeping the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action alive despite the US exit. �I don�t believe in this analysis,� Majedi said. �In regards to the claims they have presented, the Europeans have brought documents that we cannot easily reject, even though they cannot easily prove those documents.�

Majedi continued, �We see that when [President Hassan] Rouhani traveled to Austria, the issue in Germany took place.� The �issue� is a reference to Rouhani�s July 2018 trip to Vienna, which was overshadowed by the arrest of Assadollah Assadi in Germany over accusations that he was attempting to blow up a rally by an Iranian opposition group in France. Assadi was a counselor at the Iranian Embassy in Austria at the time of his arrest.

On the European claims, Majedi said, �They are facing a dual policy from Iran. They have evidence for their claims � and this is where I say these actions create trouble for a feeling of trust and security.� He added, �International relations are not based on feelings [but] on reality, and any mistake, however small, can destroy this sense of security.�

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