Tehran: Iran has lashed out at certain countries for supporting terrorist groups, saying the assassination of Iranian researchers is a terrorist move masterminded by the Zionists. “Support for terrorism is a Zionist-led move with the purpose of hampering scientific and industrial progress of the Iranian nation,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters at his weekly press conference on Tuesday.He added that terrorist groups moved to assassinate Iranian researchers when sanctions failed to prevent the country from making progress.
The spokesperson warned that countries which help terrorist groups to conduct their acts of terror are wrong and urged them to stop their support.
Mehmanparast called on all countries in the world to adopt a collective measure to eradicate the roots of terrorism.
On Saturday, unknown gunmen targeted Iranian university student Daryoush Rezaienejad, 35, and his wife who were on their way to their child’s kindergarten. The gunmen called Rezaienejad by name and shot his neck when he turned around.
No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the Saturday attack.
Mehmanparast further condemned support of certain countries for the Party for Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK) terrorist group, stressing, “Iran will never tolerate insecurity and instability along its borders.”
He added that PJAK has explicitly confessed to its acts of terror and emphasized that talks are underway with the Iraqi and German governments with regard to the presence and free activity of the group’s chief (Rahman Haj-Ahmadi) in Germany.
“We have called on Germany to arrest, put on trial and hand over the ringleader of the terrorist group,” the spokesman stated.
He noted that Iran had earlier presented German officials with evidence regarding the PJAK terrorist actions and will hand over more documents.
The Iranian official warned that direct or indirect support of Western countries for terrorist groups and harboring them will bring adverse consequences to the international community and even to European states.
Members of the terrorist PJAK group — an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) — regularly engage in armed clashes with Iranian security forces along the country’s western borders with Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.
The PKK, which is recognized as a terrorist group by Turkey, Iran, Iraq, the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations, is responsible for many deadly operations in northern Iraq and southern Turkey.
PJAK activities are being closely monitored by Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
