US State Dept. in Europe to discuss ‘Iran-backed terrorism’

The U.S. State Department says its coordinator for counterterrorism is traveling to the three Scandinavian countries to discuss matters including "Iran-backed terrorism" in Europe.

The State Department announced Ambassador Nathan Sales' trips to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway in a Jan. 29, 2019 statement, saying that Iran "remains the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism."

"In recent years the regime has directed or backed terrorist plotting in France, Denmark, The Netherlands, Albania, and elsewhere," it added.

In January 2019, the European Union approved fresh sanctions on Iran's intelligence services and two Iranian nationals, accusing them of attempting — or carrying out — attacks against Iranian government opponents on Danish, Dutch, and French soil.

Nathan A. Sales prepares to sign his appointment papers to become Ambassador-at-Large and Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 29, 2017.

(State Department Photo)

Tehran denied the claim, saying the accusations were aimed at damaging relations between Iran and the EU.

The Dutch government in 2019 accused Iran of likely involvement in the killings of two Dutch nationals of Iranian origin in 2015 and 2017. Both were opponents of the Iranian regime.

In October 2018, Denmark accused Iran's authorities of planning to carry out attacks on its soil on Iranian exiles belonging to an Iranian opposition group, while France blamed Tehran for a foiled bombing attack that targeted a rally organized by another banned group near Paris in June 2018.

And in December 2018, non-EU member Albania expelled Iran's ambassador to Tirana and another diplomat, saying they were suspected of "involvement in activities that harm the country's security."

Precise reasons for the move were not given, but U.S. officials said it sent a clear message that conducting "terrorist operations in Europe" was unacceptable.

The alleged plots in Europe have strained relations between Tehran and the European Union, which has been working to preserve the 2015 nuclear deal after the United States pulled out of the accord aimed at preventing Iran from developing a nuclear bomb.

The U.S. State Department said that Sales' talks with Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian officials will also touch upon the prosecution of foreign terrorist fighters who traveled from Europe and other parts of the world to fight alongside the extremist group Islamic State in countries such as Syria and Iraq.

"The United States is urging its partners to repatriate their citizens and prosecute them for the crimes they have committed," the statement said.

It said that a 2017 UN Security Council resolution requires states to combat terrorist travel, using tools including terrorist watch lists and airline reservation data.

This article originally appeared on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Follow @RFERL on Twitter.