France has expelled an Iranian diplomat suspected of involvement in a failed plot to bomb a rally organised by an exiled Iranian opposition group near Paris, according to diplomatic and security sources.
The diplomat, who was reportedly based in Paris, was expelled about a month before the disclosure. Two sources identified him as an Iranian intelligence operative working under diplomatic cover.
The French government had earlier accused Iran’s intelligence ministry of being behind the alleged plot targeting a June 30 gathering of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in Villepinte, near Paris. France subsequently froze the assets of Iran’s intelligence services and two Iranian nationals linked to the case.
Iran has denied involvement in the planned attack and rejected reports that its diplomat had been expelled.
The alleged bombing plot was foiled through a joint intelligence operation involving French, German and Belgian security agencies. Belgian authorities later charged an Iranian diplomat and three other people with allegedly planning the attack.
The incident has further strained relations between France and Iran at a time when Paris has been working with Britain, Germany, Russia and China to preserve the 2015 nuclear agreement following the United States’ withdrawal from the deal.
French officials said the government was still seeking clarification from Tehran over who ordered the alleged attack, while maintaining that diplomatic dialogue between the two countries would continue.
France also suspended plans to appoint a new ambassador to Iran and has not responded to Tehran’s nomination of a new envoy to France, highlighting the seriousness of the dispute.
The alleged plot has raised additional concerns in Europe as the United States prepares to impose further sanctions on Iran targeting its oil industry and financial sector.
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