Amid the latest escalation between Iran and the United States, 22 countries, including the US, have asked Iran to halt overseas attacks, allegedly, using international and local criminal gangs.
Iran’s security services were condemned for their “deplorable” use of international and local criminal gangs for plots in Europe, North America and Australia, in a joint statement issued by 22 nations. Track latest updates on Iran US war
“Attempts to kill, kidnap, harass, intimidate, or otherwise attack people on our soil, undermines national sovereignty and international norms. These actions must stop immediately,” the joint statement said, according to AFP.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ intelligence services and its foreign operations branch, the Quds Force, had engaged in “lethal plotting and malign actions” against Iranian dissidents, journalists and Jewish and Israeli communities and interests, they were quoted as saying.
Here is the list of 22 countries asking Iran to ‘stop’ attacks
- Albania
- Australia
- Belgium
- Britain
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- France
- Finland
- Germany
- Ireland
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Portugal
- Sweden
- United States.
Other accusations against Iran
The group of 22 countries also accused Iran of being behind a campaign of attacks across Europe targeting Jewish communities, Iranian journalists and US journalists that were claimed by Iran-linked group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI).
The group, whose name means The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand, has claimed responsibility for attacks targeting Jewish communities in the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands.
HAYI reportedly said it was responsible for the stabbing of two Jewish men and a series of arson attacks on synagogues and community sites in north London over recent months.
Middle East in turmoil again
The shaky truce in place for the last two months fell flat on Wednesday after Iran and the US resumed fighting in the Middle East.
In their second straight day of tit-for-tat attacks, Washington hit surveillance, communications and air defence facilities, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced a “punitive operation” targeting a US base in Jordan and Gulf states reported incoming fire, AFP reported.
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Mediators Pakistan and Qatar suggested backchannel efforts to negotiate an end to the war were ongoing in spite of the flare-up, though Islamabad cautioned it was “hard to be an optimist” in light of the latest escalation.
The strikes took place while a Qatari delegation was in Tehran, with a diplomatic source saying the discussions were “conducted in coordination with the United States”.
US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly maintained negotiations with Tehran were close to a deal, said on Wednesday that Iran keeps “playing us for suckers” and will now “have to pay the price”.
Hours after, CENTCOM said US forces began strikes early Thursday on Iran in response to its “unwarranted and continued aggression”, later adding it had completed its attacks.
