Iran behind bomb plot in Paris: French govt

France froze the assets of two suspected Iranian intelligence operatives yesterday in retaliation for an alleged bomb plot uncovered near Paris in June, in a move that could cause diplomatic tensions with Tehran.

The French government announced it had frozen assets belonging to two Iranians and Iran’s ministry of security and intelligence following the alleged plot to bomb an Iranian opposition group in a Parisian suburb in June. “This extremely serious act envisaged on our territory could not go without a response,” France’s interior, foreign and economy ministers said in a rare joint statement.

“In taking this decision, France underlines its determination to fight against terrorism in all its forms, particularly on its own territory,” they added. The foiled attack in June was to have targeted a meeting of thousands of Iranian opposition supporters which was also attended by leading US figures, including close allies of President Donald Trump.

Six people were arrested afterwards in coordinated raids by European police forces, including an Iranian diplomat called Assadollah Asadi, who is set to be extradited from Germany to Belgium for prosecution. Asadi was targeted by France for the six-month asset freeze along with another man namedas Saeid Hashemi Moghadam.

Also, around 200 police launched a dawn anti-terror raid on one of the biggest Shiite Muslim centres in France, the Zahra Centre France, as well as the homes of its directors. A total of 11 people were questioned and three were arrested.