Five British MPs escaped death after an Iranian diplomat attempted to smuggle explosives into a Paris rally two years ago.
Metro reports that the foiled bombing using the same type of explosive used in the Manchester Area terror attack, had been planned for the Free Iran Rally on 30 June, 2018, where a 35-strong British delegation were in attendance, including Conservative MPs Bob Blackman, Matthew Offord, and Theresa Villiers a government register of interests revealed. Sir David Amess, another Tory MP, and Labour’s Roger Godsiff were also present according to reports.
There were also believed to be around 100,000 Iranians, and hundreds of international dignitaries, including Donald Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.
Belgian police then intercepted 550g of explosives in a car in Brussels, and couple Amir Saadouni and Nasimeh Naami were arrested.
Mr Blackman, MP for Harrow East, said the plot could have been “the deadliest terror operation ever carried out in Europe”, if the explosion had gone off. He said: “For the first time in history, an accredited diplomat is about to face trial on terrorism charges in Europe. That he represents the government of Iran is no surprise.”
He added: “The US would undeniably have declared war on Iran – and it was only because the plot was foiled, World War Three was averted.”
Villiers, who gave a speech at the conference, said it was an ‘outrage’ that the bomb was allegedly smuggled using a diplomatic bag. She noted: ‘If the court decides that is what happened it will be shocking. I feel I’ve had a lucky escape.’
Saadouni and Naamigo goes on trial in Antwerp on Friday, alongside two Iranian citizens, including diplomat Assadollah Assadi, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the plot. According to court documents, Assadi had been operating on the orders of Iran’s authorities and smuggled the explosives into Vienna on a commercial flight from Tehran.
He is accused of putting the bomb in his diplomatic bag, which was exempt from from security checks, Belgian security sources told The Sun. He then allegedly gave the ‘Mother of Satan’ explosives to Saadouni and Naami during a meeting in a Pizza Hut in Luxembourg, two days before they were arrested.
Mother of Satan is a type of explosive which was also used in the 2015 Paris attacks and 2017 Manchester Arena bomb.
Source: The Metro
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