London - Asharq Al-Awsat

European countries have lost confidence in Tehran after detecting espionage and assassination plots, and they have provided evidence on Iran's activities that can not be easily refuted, stated Iran's former ambassador to Germany, Ali Magdi.

Magdi criticized the interference of domestic parties in Iran’s foreign policy, pointing out that the European countries “face a dual Iranian policy.”

In his first interview after returning to Iran, Magdi told ISNA that the European countries can’t easily prove the documents they have, however, their confidence and sense of security declined as a result of Iranian plans.

The former ambassador reiterated that Iran’s foreign operations are damaging the country, and could lead to a lack of trust with European parties.

Magdi was Iran's ambassador to Berlin, the most important trade partner with Tehran, for over four years between July 2014 and November 2018.

The diplomat went on to say that European countries are working with Iran, but have no faith in the regime, adding that issues emerged between the two during this period.

This is the first time an Iranian diplomat familiar with his country's policy in Europe holds influential Iranian figures responsible for recent European moves.

When asked about the motives behind such Iranian plans, Magdi indicated that there are some internal parties who “believe” that these operations can secure the country’s national interests. However, he thinks that these measures do not strengthen Iran.

The diplomat made the remarks as Tehran insists on rejecting the European charges of espionage while accusing certain parties of seeking to sabotage Iran's relations with the European countries.

Earlier, the European Union announced a series of measures against Iran, including sanctions, named a unit of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence as a terrorist organization, and froze its assets in addition to the assets of two other men. This came in response to several plans in Denmark and France against Iranian opposition figures.

Albania announced this month the expulsion of Iranian diplomats, on the grounds that they posed a threat to Albania's national security.

The Netherlands has officially accused Iran's intelligence services of directing two political assassinations between 2015 and 2017, months after the Dutch government expelled two diplomats from the Iranian embassy and summoned the Iranian ambassador.

Few days after the EU imposed sanctions, German authorities said they had arrested a German-Afghan military adviser on suspicion of spying for Iran.

Iran denied Germany had summoned its charge d'affaires, saying he visited the German Foreign Ministry for another purpose at the request of the Iranian Embassy, and the claims on summoning him are "completely unfounded".

Tehran also criticized Germany's decision to ban Mahan Air from its airports.

The Foreign Ministry indicated that the ban is to safeguard its own national security, adding that the airline transports fighters and material to specific war zones in Syria.

Magdi denied that the accusations against Iran, the arrest of an Iranian diplomat in Germany, and actions taken in Belgium, France, Denmark, and Albania had any link to the special purpose vehicle (SPV) which the Europeans promised to activate to help Tehran circumvent US sanctions.

“I don’t believe in such analysis.”