Iranian society is deeply troubled by the country’s economic and social crises. There has been a significant increase in protests staged by people from all walks of life, including teachers, factory workers, truckers, and others.
The annual Grand Gathering in Paris on June 30 will be held by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and this year, it will support Iranian people’s turn of the year uprising, as well as the ongoing protests that have followed. The NCRI promotes the Iranian people’s demand for a regime change, and the gathering shows that Iranian people’s protests are backed both domestically and by the international community.
While the event is still weeks away, officials of Iran and its media have made remarks in a press conference held on Sunday June 11th, 2018. According to Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi, “Rouhani’s government has had talks with French officials for cancelling the gathering.”
Ghasemi told France that “the MEK (The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran which is the main force inside NCRI) holds gatherings in France every once in a while. This is not acceptable for Iran, as we’ve said that no double standard approach should be adopted, thereby dividing the terrorism into a good one and a bad one.” He then threatened France, saying “those who give permit for such gatherings are wrong, as they themselves will be affected by the consequences as well.”
The National Security Commission Spokesman, Naghavi Hosseini, also attacked France for hosting MEK’s Grand Gathering in Paris. Hosseini said in an interview with state-run media, “MEK activities in Europe and their gatherings in European countries is contrary to such countries’ claimed policy of fighting against terrorism.” He added, “The MEK is going to harm Iran-Europe relationships”, as well as, “the group is trying to destroy all peaceful interactions between Iran and Europe, and their upcoming gathering is aimed at affecting Europeans’ approach, particularly at a time when JCPOA-related talks are under way between Europe and Iran.”
Warning Iran’s Foreign Ministry about the consequences of NCRI’s Grand Gathering in Paris, Hosseini insisted, “…under such circumstances, Iran’s diplomacy has to start talks with European counterparts, as the Islamic Republic will have to adopt a new and different policy should the Europeans decide to continue their partnership and interaction with the MEK.”
Kazem Jalali, chairman of Iran’s Parliamentary Research Center, as well as the head of Iran-Europe Parliamentary Relationships Group, have both written letters to their counterparts in European and French parliaments and the French Senate, warning them of “NCRI’s hostile moves in France” and expressing “Iran’s disapproval of European countries’ policy that allows such terrorist group’s gatherings be held in Europe.”
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