Belgium state security said that the Iranian man who was arrested by Belgium authorities along with his wife, end of last week, in the backdrop of plotting for a terrorist act targeting the Iranian opposer in France, are a sleeper cell sent by the Iranian authorities to work as spies in Europe.
Belgium's Interior Minister Jan Jambon praised the quick and decisive intervention by the security and intelligence body, including Belgium state security as well as the policemen and judiciary in this matter. The minister said that despite discovering the plot, the authorities won’t lift the security alertness in the country.
In a tweet, Jambon added that there hasn’t been any danger on Belgium due to the plot discovered against the Iranian opposer in France.
Belgium police succeeded in disclosing the plot, and aborted the explosives effect – further, an Iranian and his wife are facing charges of plotting a terrorist murder at a time when another person was arrested in Germany in the same matter. Brussels media said that he is a diplomat in Iran’s Embassy at Vienna.
In Tehran, AFP reported from a website to the Iranian foreign ministry that the couple arrested in Belgium belongs to People's Mujahedin of Iran. The ministry, reporting Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi, said that "Based on the information available, the individuals arrested in Belgium are among the... notorious and operational elements" of the MEK, the ministry said on its website.”
"Relevant Iranian authorities are prepared to offer the necessary cooperation by presenting the required documents and evidence to shed light on the real dimensions of this pre-planned scenario orchestrated by the terrorist group," it said.
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who is with Rouhani in Europe, said on Monday the foiled Villepinte attack was a "false flag ploy" to harm Iran and offered his country's help in investigating the matter.
