Iran summons 3 European envoys over parade attack

TEHERAN: Iran summoned diplomats from Denmark, the Netherlands and Britain over an attack on an army parade which killed 29 people near the Iraqi border, state-run media said yesterday.

The Dutch and Danish ambassadors, and the British charge d’affaires were “informed of Iran’s strong protests over their respective countries’ hosting of some members of the terrorist group” which carried out the attack, official news agency IRNA said.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the assault in southwestern Ahvaz on Saturday.

Iranian officials have blamed “a foreign regime” backed by the United States.

Iran called on Denmark and the Netherlands to extradite the attack’s “perpetrators and their accomplices” to stand trial in the Middle Eastern country, IRNA said, citing Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi.

“It is not acceptable that the European Union does not blacklist members of these terrorist groups as long as they do not perpetrate a crime on European soil,” Qasemi reportedly said.

The British charge d’affaires, summoned in the ambassador’s absence, was told it was unacceptable “that the spokesman for the Al-Ahvazi terrorist group was allowed to claim responsibility of the attack through a Londonbased TV network”, according to the news agency.

He was referring to a group Teheran claims is backed by its arch-rival Saudi Arabia.

Iran President Hassan Rouhani has vowed a “crushing” response to the attack in Khuzestan province.