Terror plot amounts to smear campaign

At a news conference on October 11, the US Attorney-General claimed a plot had been foiled involving men allegedly linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran to kill the Saudi ambassador to the US and that a person named Mansour Arbabsiar has been arrested in connection with the said plot.

The arrested suspect has lived in the US for the past 16 years and has had no link to Iran entities. Unilaterally announcing accusations against an American citizen residing in the US without showing documentation and creating a media wave against Iran is in no way compatible with legal logic, and can only be a purely media and political show.

Based on legal norms, if there is any claim against any government, the US should submit the accused’s information to the other country and request cooperation. However, and despite a clear request from Iran, and contrary to international conventions, the US has not taken any action in this regard.

Obvious contradictions mentioned above and the fact that US officials have offered no specific evidence linking the plot to Iran, have made experts and seasoned political figures (including those in the US) question the possibility of such a plot per se – let alone attributing it to another government – and some have even found it laughable.

The accusations were put together by an obscure, anonymous secret agent based on statements, guesses and suppositions by individuals involved in drug smuggling! No admissible proof has yet been offered and such baseless allegations would never stand up in a proper, neutral courtroom.

In the last three decades more than 16,000 Iranian citizens including scientists and senior officials have been assassinated and a number of Iranian diplomats have fallen victim to terrorist attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Islamic Republic of Iran, as one of the main victims of terrorism, and in line with Islamic values it so staunchly adheres to, is opposed to the killing of innocent people and has always been a front-runner in fighting terrorism on the international scene. This is while US governments have never stopped to support some terrorist groups active against Iran.

The last three decades have shown that Iran and its governments have never failed to live up to their responsibility of contributing to international and regional peace and stability as a top priority for their foreign policy. 

Iran’s strategy on Islamic world and Arab countries particularly the neighbouring states and Saudi Arabia is based on peace, brotherhood and all-out cooperation aimed at developing and deepening the dignity and security inside the sensitive regions of the Middle East and Persian Gulf.

The Foreign Ministry of Iran vehemently and categorically denies the accusations made by US officials and reminds everyone that such illogical allegations are part of an immature scenario and political show and are nothing but a media smear campaign created by Washington in an attempt to divert international attention from the Islamic Awakening in the region, as well as the current protests hitting the country and to justify the continuation of the failed illegal actions taken by the US against Iran. Needless to say, the US government is responsible for escalating tension and undermining international security through its propaganda campaign against Iran.

Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Bangkok