France Seizes Iranian Assets Over Terror Bomb Plot

French President Emmanuel Macron meets Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the UN General Assembly. AFP

Reuters: France seizes Iranian assets in retaliation for bomb plot

PARIS (Reuters) - France seized assets belonging to Iran’s intelligence services and two Iranian nationals in response to a June plot to attack an exiled Iranian opposition group’s rally outside Paris, the government said on Tuesday.

A senior French official said Paris had no doubt that elements of the Iranian state were behind the bomb plot and that it was likely to have been hatched by hardliners looking to undermine President Hassan Rouhani.

The hardening of relations between Paris and Tehran could have deep consequences for Iran, coming at a time when Rouhani’s government is looking to European capitals to salvage a 2015 nuclear deal after the United States pulled out.

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Update: Iran has denied involvement in this bomb plot .... Iran denies French accusations over alleged bomb plot (i24 News).

More News On France Seizing Iranian Assets Over Terror Bomb Plot

France moves against Iran over bomb plot near Paris -- AFP
France freezes Iranian intelligence agency's assets over alleged plot to bomb exile group -- FOX News
France Freezes Iranian Assets Over Bomb Plot Blamed on Tehran -- The Wall Street Journal
France moves against Iran over bomb plot near Paris" -- Expatica France
France says Iranian state behind foiled bomb plot -- The National
No Doubt Iran Behind Foiled Paris Attack, Says French Diplomatic Source -- Haaretz
France seizes Iranian assets after foiled June terror plot -- The Jerusalem Post

Iran Accuses French Police Of Being Too Slow In Responding To Their Embassy Being Attacked By Protesters

Images of today's attack on #Iran's embassy in Paris pic.twitter.com/lzuAf8QOux

— sheer_iran (@sheriran95) September 15, 2018

Sputnik: Iran Slams French Police for Slow Response to Kurdish Activists' Embassy Attack

Iranian Kurdistan supporters attempted a forceful entry to the country’s embassy in Paris closely on the heels of Iranian military command firing a range of missiles at a location of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan in the north of Iraq.

Iran accused pro-Kurdish activists of attacking its embassy in Paris on Saturday and lambasted French law enforcement for arriving too late to the scene.

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Update #1: Iran accuses French police of slow reaction to attack on Paris embassy (Reuters)
Update #2: Iran's embassy in Paris 'attacked by protesters', says Iranian foreign ministry -- The Guardian/AP
Update #3: Iran raps slow French police response to Embassy attack in Paris -- Press TV

WNU Editor: French - Iran relations have been on a downward spiral since this .... Diplomat arrested over alleged attack plot on Iranian group in France (The Guardian).

French President Emmanuel Macron Blames Iran For Last Weekend's Ballistic Missile Launch By Yemeni Rebels Targeting Riyadh

French president Emmanuel Macron, left, greets Iranian president Hassan Rouhani at the Millenium Hotel in New York on September 18, 2017. Ludovic Marin, AFP

RFE: French President Says Iran Behind Yemeni Missile Launch, Calls For Talks

French President Emmanuel Macron is blaming Iran for a ballistic missile launch by Yemeni rebels targeting Riyadh last weekend, and said it illustrates the need for negotiations with Tehran over its missile development.

"The missile which was intercepted by Saudi Arabia launched from Yemen, which obviously is an Iranian missile, shows precisely the strength of their" program, Macron said late on November 9 as he visited the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

"There are extremely strong concerns about Iran" among its Arab neighbors in the Persian Gulf region over the missile launch, and "there are negotiations we need to start on Iran's ballistic missiles," he said.

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WNU Editor: Iran responds .... Iran rejects Macron call for talks on Iranian missiles (Reuters). More here .... Iran rejects Macron's call for talks on missile issue (Al Jazeera).

France - Iran Diplomatic State Dinner Cancelled Because Of Wine And Halal Meat

RT: Historic Hollande-Rouhani dinner scrapped due to insistence on wine & non-halal meat

Iran’s President Rouhani will visit France next week, but the historic visit will not feature a dinner with President Hollande. Why? Because the French wouldn’t agree to serve halal meat and wouldn't budge on serving alcohol.

The formal lunch with the French leader was meant to take place at the Elysee Palace, but reports indicate it is not to be, according to France’s RTL.

According to the news source, Rouhani refused on religious grounds. “A meal was contemplated, but fell apart,” a source familiar with the issue said.

Update #1: No wine? Then no diplomatic dinner, France tells Iran -- Mashable
Update #2: France won’t dine with Iran unless wine is served -- Washington Post

WNU Editor: I support the French on this one. It's their house .... if you don't like their rules, do not show up.

Did France Make A Secret Deal With Iran To Release Prisoners?

Did France Make A Deal With Iran To Exchange Prisoners? -- Time Magazine

Was France's decision on Tuesday to release a convicted Iranian assassin part of a swap that secured Sunday's return of a French academic who'd been detained on spying charges in Tehran? That is what some observers in France suspect, after a French court ruled that the convicted killer of former Iranian Prime Minister Shahpour Bakhtiar be freed so that Interior Ministry officials could execute his expulsion to Tehran — in accordance with an order they had signed less than 24 hours before. Iranian and French officials deny that any deal was made.

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More News On France's Release Of Former Iranian Prime Minister Shahpour Bakhtiar's Assassin

Suspicions of Deal Hang Over Iran's Release of French 'Spy' -- ABC News
France denies deal to release 'spy' from Iran -- The Independent
France accused of striking deal with Iran on prisoner releases -- Times Online
French accused of releasing killer of Iranian leader in prisoner swap -- The Guardian
French researcher freed by Iran 'helped' DGSE, ex-agent says -- Politico
French teacher accused of spying did work for French MI6 -- The Telegraph
Reiss was not a spy, says angry French government -- Reuters
France to deport killer of former Iranian PM -- Financial Times
France decides to expel Iranian killer -- Reuters
In other news, France claims sunrise and daylight are entirely coincidental -- Macleans

My Comment: Talk about coincidences .... NOT.