PHOTO: Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri — “Role of the French in supporting and directing the phenomenon of terrorism is undeniable”
The deputy head of Iran’s military has declared that France and Saudi Arabia should be blamed for any terrorism inside the Islamic Republic.
Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri, who is also a Revolutionary Guards commanders, said on Sunday, “Incriminating fingers would be pointed at Riyadh and Paris over potential acts of terror in Iran.”
Tehran has regularly accused Saudi Arabia — along with the US, Britain, and Israel — of involvement in terrorist and attempts at regime change.
Jazayeri’s addition of France appears to have been prompted by a July 9 meeting in Paris of the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization, considered a terrorist group by Iran and — until recently — by the US and the European Union. The MKO has attempted since 1980, often with violent operations, to overthrow the Iranian regime.
At the event, Prince Turki al-Faisal, the former Saudi head of intelligence, gave a 30-minute address.
Iranian officials immediately condemned the speech. Mohsen Rezaei, the Secretary of the Expediency Council, accused Saudi Arabia not only of responsibility for MEK attacks but also of support for Kurdish insurgents who have been clashing with Iranian security forces. The Revoutionary Guards said the speech “showed the longstanding link” between Saudi Arabia and the MEK, and senior official Hossein Amir Abdollahian claimed it was part of “the agenda of Riyadh”. Conservative and hardline outlets compared Prince Turki to the late Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
Jazayeri extended the comments on Sunday with the inclusion of the French:
Hosting the MKO terrorist group as one of the most dangerous and criminal terrorist groups in the world and the presence of Arab and Western political figures show these countries’ support for terrorism.
Although the evil hands of the MKO traitors have been cut off thanks to the resolve of the Iranian nation as well as the vigilance and readiness of the Armed Forces and security and intelligence organizations, the network of founders and promoters of global terrorism jumps at every opportunity to revive this deceased and hated current and present it as an active and influential element against the Islamic Revolution and establishment….
The role of the French in supporting and directing the phenomenon of terrorism is undeniable.
In recent weeks Iranian officials, including the Supreme Leader, have stepped up their declarations of a terrorist threat while at the same time assuring that the Islamic Republic can defeat enemies. The campaign appears to be linked to Iran’s involvement in regional crises such as the Syrian civil war, to concerns about insurgency, and worries — amid ongoing economic difficulties — about opposition to the regime at home.
See Iran Daily, July 6: Supreme Leader — “US, Britain, & Israel Behind Terrorist Attacks”
Iran Feature: Supreme Leader — “I Am Sensitive” About Mass Protests in 2009
