France freezes Iranian assets over foiled bombing attempt

France said on Tuesday there was no doubt Iran’s intelligence ministry was behind a June plot to attack an exiled opposition group’s rally outside Paris and it seized assets belonging to Tehran’s intelligence services and two Iranian nationals.

The hardening of relations between Paris and Tehran could have far-reaching consequences for Iran as President Hassan Rouhani’s government looks to European capitals to salvage a 2015 nuclear deal after the United States pulled out and reimposed tough sanctions on Iran.

The source, speaking after the government announced asset freezes, added that deputy minister and director general of intelligence Saeid Hashemi Moghadam had ordered the attack and Assadollah Asadi, a Vienna-based diplomat held by German authorities, had put it into action.

The plot targeted a meeting of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) outside the French capital. U.S. President Donald Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and several former European and Arab ministers attended the rally.

It unravelled after Asadi, an accredited diplomat in Austria, was arrested in Germany, two other individuals were detained in Belgium in possession of explosives, and one other individual in France.

Paris has also suspended nominating a new ambassador to Iran and not responded to Tehran nominations for diplomatic positions in France.

While not directly linked to the plot, the diplomatic source said a French police raid on a Shi’ite Muslim faith centre earlier on Tuesday was aimed at also sending a signal at Iran.

The deterioration of relations with France could have wider implications for Iran.

France has been one of the strongest advocates of salvaging the 2015 nuclear deal, which saw Tehran agree to curbs on its nuclear programme in return for a lifting of economic sanctions.

21 thoughts on “France freezes Iranian assets over foiled bombing attempt”

  1. Alternatives to the SWIFT system are gonna happen anyways” Nope. What is gonna happen is that people will continue to say such things and be proven wrong again and again, as has been happening. “what’s the point of shooting oneself in the foot giving up convenient oil and quite some investments there? ” Because access to trading dollars is worth more. “who inevitably will have to start selling oil also in other currencies anyways because of the aforementioned SWIFT alternatives” No they won’t. They are wedded to selling oil for dollars just as they always have been. Same for the Norwiegans, who don’t sell their oil for euros in case you haven’t noticed.

  2. Alternatives to the SWIFT system are gonna happen anyways””Nope. What is gonna happen is that people will continue to say such things and be proven wrong again and again”””” as has been happening.””””what’s the point of shooting oneself in the foot giving up convenient oil and quite some investments there? “”””Because access to trading dollars is worth more. “”””who inevitably will have to start selling oil also in other currencies anyways because of the aforementioned SWIFT alternatives””””No they won’t. They are wedded to selling oil for dollars just as they always have been. Same for the Norwiegans”””” who don’t sell their oil for euros in case you haven’t noticed.”””

  3. Small correction, Warren. The EU Euroweenies, not the French government. Federica Mogherini is an IYI (intellectual yet idiot) Italian EU bureaucrat, spearheading that particular quixotic quest. She comes from a background of being a member of the communist party in Italy. Macron’s government reversed it’s position on Iran when it became clear Total – their prized oil asset – would be shut down if they tried to do a run-around the US. Total’s balance sheet is in USD….. US hegemony in the energy and agriculture and commodities and financial markets is absolute.

  4. Small correction Warren. The EU Euroweenies not the French government. Federica Mogherini is an IYI (intellectual yet idiot) Italian EU bureaucrat spearheading that particular quixotic quest. She comes from a background of being a member of the communist party in Italy. Macron’s government reversed it’s position on Iran when it became clear Total – their prized oil asset – would be shut down if they tried to do a run-around the US. Total’s balance sheet is in USD…..US hegemony in the energy and agriculture and commodities and financial markets is absolute.

  5. Alternatives to the SWIFT system are gonna happen anyways, what’s the point of shooting oneself in the foot giving up convenient oil and quite some investments there? In any case, all this Iran hostility is just to defend the (throat-cutting) Saudi royal family, who inevitably will have to start selling oil also in other currencies anyways because of the aforementioned SWIFT alternatives. Do you understand that these charades have no strategic meaningfulness, just tactical at best..?

  6. Alternatives to the SWIFT system are gonna happen anyways what’s the point of shooting oneself in the foot giving up convenient oil and quite some investments there? In any case all this Iran hostility is just to defend the (throat-cutting) Saudi royal family who inevitably will have to start selling oil also in other currencies anyways because of the aforementioned SWIFT alternatives. Do you understand that these charades have no strategic meaningfulness just tactical at best..?

  7. “Alternatives to the SWIFT system are gonna happen anyways”

    Nope. What is gonna happen is that people will continue to say such things and be proven wrong again and again, as has been happening.

    “what’s the point of shooting oneself in the foot giving up convenient oil and quite some investments there? ”

    Because access to trading dollars is worth more.

    “who inevitably will have to start selling oil also in other currencies anyways because of the aforementioned SWIFT alternatives”

    No they won’t. They are wedded to selling oil for dollars just as they always have been. Same for the Norwiegans, who don’t sell their oil for euros in case you haven’t noticed.

  8. Small correction, Warren. The EU Euroweenies, not the French government. Federica Mogherini is an IYI (intellectual yet idiot) Italian EU bureaucrat, spearheading that particular quixotic quest. She comes from a background of being a member of the communist party in Italy.

    Macron’s government reversed it’s position on Iran when it became clear Total – their prized oil asset – would be shut down if they tried to do a run-around the US. Total’s balance sheet is in USD…..
    US hegemony in the energy and agriculture and commodities and financial markets is absolute.

  9. Alternatives to the SWIFT system are gonna happen anyways, what’s the point of shooting oneself in the foot giving up convenient oil and quite some investments there? In any case, all this Iran hostility is just to defend the (throat-cutting) Saudi royal family, who inevitably will have to start selling oil also in other currencies anyways because of the aforementioned SWIFT alternatives. Do you understand that these charades have no strategic meaningfulness, just tactical at best..?

  10. …Yet, the Frogs are still plotting with their fellow Euroweenies to find a way for their companies to sneak around US sanctions on Iran, no doubt.

  11. …Yet the Frogs are still plotting with their fellow Euroweenies to find a way for their companies to sneak around US sanctions on Iran no doubt.

  12. Yep, we all hate those GOOD cops. Would be much better if everyone and every nation were evil with nothing but selfish intentions.

  13. Yep we all hate those GOOD cops. Would be much better if everyone and every nation were evil with nothing but selfish intentions.

  14. We actually need Europe and America to continue playing the good cop and the bad cop. To ensure that the Aitollahs regime will collapse due to economic hardships but still will have an incentive not to abandon the nuclear agreement.

  15. We actually need Europe and America to continue playing the good cop and the bad cop. To ensure that the Aitollahs regime will collapse due to economic hardships but still will have an incentive not to abandon the nuclear agreement.

  16. We actually need Europe and America to continue playing the good cop and the bad cop. To ensure that the Aitollahs regime will collapse due to economic hardships but still will have an incentive not to abandon the nuclear agreement.

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