Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks to German Chancellor Angela Merkel by phone ahead of talks in Vienna on Friday with the remaining partners in the Iran nuclear deal. (Photo: Iranian presidency)

(CNSNews.com) – Iran’s foreign minister is meeting with five foreign counterparts in Vienna Friday in a bid to preserve the 2015 nuclear deal following President Trump’s recent withdrawal, but the meeting could be overshadowed by fresh claims of Iranian terror plotting on European soil.

Iran is now engaged in disputes with two of the countries represented at the talks, Germany and France, over the arrest of an Iranian diplomat in Germany in connection with an alleged plot to bomb an exiled Iranian opposition movement’s rally in France last weekend.

Asadollah Assadi was detained in Bavaria on Sunday, and looks set to be extradited to Belgium where investigators have an Iranian-origin married couple in custody, suspected of planning to bomb the “Free Iran” rally near Paris, organized by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)/People’s Mujahedeen Organization of Iran (MEK).

A fourth suspect, an Iranian arrested in France, looks may also be extradited to Belgium, according to wire service reports.

Adding to the political sensitivities raised by the case, the detained ambassador is accredited to the Iranian Embassy in Vienna, the city hosting Friday’s talks between Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and foreign ministers from the remaining Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) partners – France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia.

Twenty-nine years ago, the Austrian government drew criticism after allowing Iranian “diplomats” suspected of having assassinated a dissident in Vienna to leave the country, only to issue warrants for their arrest later.

This time the authorities moved swiftly when an Iranian diplomat was accused of involvement in terror, informing Iran they will lift Assadi’s immunity, given the existence of a European arrest warrant.

The Iranian regime denies the plot against a reviled group it has long sought to eliminate. Zarif has called it a “false flag” operation and his ministry has accused enemies of trying to undermine Tehran’s diplomacy in Europe.

The couple arrested in Belgium – with 500 grams of explosive and an ignition mechanism hidden in their car – face charges of “attempted terrorist murder and the preparation of a terrorist offense,” according to Belgian state security service.

Tehran’s foreign ministry says they are linked to the NCRI/MEK, calling the alleged plot a “pre-planned scenario orchestrated by the terrorist group.”

Such a scenario would suggest that Assadi, the detained diplomat, is also an NCRI/MEK member or sympathizer.

For its part, the NCRI claims that Assadi – who is listed by Austria’s foreign ministry as a “third counselor” at the Iranian Embassy – has been “the head of the Iranian regime’s intelligence station at the regime’s embassy in Vienna since 2014.”

And Belgium’s De Standaard newspaper, citing security sources, said the detained couple, named as Amir Sadouni and Nasim Nomeni, are suspected of being regime sleeper agents who infiltrated the NCRI/MEK.

Whatever the case, the controversy comes at a delicate time for the regime, which is looking to France and Germany in particular to continue to support the JCPOA.

Ahead of Friday’s talks, President Hassan Rouhani spoke by phone to both French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

According to the Iranian foreign ministry he urged the European leaders to ensure that Iran is offered a clear program and specific timetable to “compensate” for the U.S. pullout from the nuclear agreement.

“After US’ withdrawal from the JCPOA, economic issues and problems in banking relations and oil have been created and companies that have invested in Iran are skeptical about continuing their activities in Iran,” the ministry quoted Rouhani as telling Merkel.

It said he also described as “disappointing” current proposals by the Europeans on how they intend to live up to their commitments under the JCPOA.

Zarif tweeted that he expected in Friday’s meetings to secure “verifiable & actionable commitments rather than lofty & obscure promises” from the remaining JCPOA partners.

Citing the alleged bomb plot, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, a harsh critic of the Iranian regime, urged European governments to change their approach to Iran.

“This week there was an example of Iran’s boundless hypocrisy and brazen gall,” he said in a speech in the port city of Acre. “This week the president of Iran met with leaders in Europe in order to try and overcome President Trump's sanctions regime – and I tell you that this attempt will fail – even as Iran planned a terrorist attack on French soil in Europe.”

“It was no coincidence that this attack was thwarted,” Netanyahu continued. “I call on the leaders of Europe: Stop financing the terrorist regime that is financing terrorism against you on your soil. Enough with the policy of appeasement and weakness regarding Iran.”

The looming reimposition of U.S. sanctions will significantly impact companies in Europe and elsewhere which are doing, or planned to do, business with Iran.

The Trump administration plans to restore some sanctions (including those relating to gold and other metals and the automotive sector) on August 6 and others (energy and banking) by November 4.

It wants all countries to stop buying Iranian crude oil.