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EU lawmakers slam move to attend inauguration of Iranian president

The E.U. will be represented at the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday in Tehran.

Iranian President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian. Source: X.
Iranian President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian. Source: X.

In a letter to European Union foreign-affairs chief Josep Borrell, Polish MEP Adam Bielan from the European Conservatives and Reformists group stated that it was “not appropriate” for Brussels to be represented at the swearing-in ceremony in Tehran for newly elected Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, “as this would legitimize the Iranian regime.”

Last week, a senior E.U. official told The Wall Street Journal that Borrell would not attend the ceremony, as Europe’s relationship with Iran is “at the lowest point it has ever been.”

Instead, Enrique Mora, who serves as deputy secretary-general of the European External Action Service (EEAS), will travel to Tehran.

The EEAS insisted that the E.U. will not be represented at the political level, but merely at a “diplomatic level.”

In his letter, MEP Bielan, who is the ECR’s coordinator for foreign policy, wrote, “This decision is not only misguided but stands in direct contradiction to the values and principles that the European Union purports to uphold. We expect a swift and appropriate response to ensure that our foreign policy remains consistent with our shared values and commitments.

“Iran’s persistent support for terrorist activities and destabilizing actions across the region poses a direct threat to global security and contradicts the E.U.’s commitment to democracy and human rights,” added Bielan.

“Engaging diplomatically with such a regime at this juncture is highly inappropriate and dangerous. It undermines the integrity of our foreign policy and sends a message of tacit approval to a government that flagrantly violates human rights and international norms,” he continued.

Another member of the European Parliament, Dutch Bart Groothuis, from the Liberal Renew group, called the E.U.’s decision “unacceptable.”

German Green MEP Hannah Neumann posted on X, “We are so ready for change at the highest and some lower levels,” in a clear reference to Borrell nearing the end of his term as the E.U.’s foreign-affairs chief.

Borrell will be replaced by Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, who is considered to be less indulgent toward the Iranian regime.

Mora also represented the E.U. at the inauguration ceremony of Ebrahim Raisi as president of Iran in 2019, for which he was criticized by Iranian human-rights activists.

Iran and the E.U. have clashed over a number of issues in the last few years, most notably the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program and its poor record on human rights.

In recent months, the relationship has deteriorated over ongoing deliberations on the possibility of adding Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to the E.U.’s terror list.

Pezeshkian, a 69-year-old cardiac surgeon, was elected president on July 6. The vote was called after President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash in May.

In his election campaign last month, Pezeshkian promised to improve Iran’s diplomatic ties and even attempt to revive the 2015 nuclear deal from which former U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018.

But, according to Kasra Aarabi, director for IRGC Research at United Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI), “Iran’s new ‘moderate’ leader is part of the game. The presidency is a rubber stamp and the face of the regime to give a mask of reformism abroad.’’

He added, “Pezeshkian’s presidency will not change the regime’s key policies. They are set by the supreme leader, who wields absolute power.”

Aarabi noted that Pezeshkian would not have become president without consent from Khamenei and the IRGC.

According to him, they choose Pezeshkian “because Khamenei and the IRGC know that if Trump is elected, U.S. policy will revert to ‘maximum pressure’ against the regime. This almost brought the Islamic Republic to its knees during Trump’s first term. But they also know Europe has a high level of disdain for The Donald. Thus, they believe that the best way to undermine ‘maximum pressure’ is to divide the U.S. and Europe on Iran.’’

Originally published in the European Jewish Press.

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