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"VAN" (Aleksey Vesyoliy - Europe Bureau) :: European Union hit Iran's intelligence services with sanctions Tuesday after accusing Tehran of being behind plots to assassinate regime opponents on Dutch, Danish and French soil. The move by the 28-nation bloc was announced as the Dutch government said it believed Iran was behind the murders of two dissidents in 2015 and 2017. "Very encouraging that (the) EU has just agreed on new targeted sanctions against Iran in response to hostile activities and plots being planned and perpetrated in Europe, including Denmark," Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said. The "EU stands united -- such actions are unacceptable and must have consequences," he tweeted. Sanctions include the freezing of funds and other financial assets of the Iranian intelligence ministry and individuals, officials said. But Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif pointed the finger at European nations he said were harboring terrorists. "Accusing Iran does not release Europe from its responsibility for hosting terrorists," he said in a tweet.
On Fri, Apr 19, 2024