The Iranian authorities have decided to reduce their diplomatic relations with Sweden to protest against the desecration of the Koran in this country by an Iraqi refugee. Tehran will not accept the new Swedish ambassador, who was due to take office in the coming days, nor will it send a new ambassador to the country.
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With our correspondent in Tehran, Siavosh Ghazi
Iran decided to raise the tone against Sweden. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Tehran will not accept the new Swedish ambassador who was due to take office in the coming days, nor will it send a new ambassador to Sweden, until the government of that country acts firmly against the person who burned the Quran and protects the holy books.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement that the Iraqi refugee who desecrated the Quran ” deserved the worst punishment “. He called for Salwan Momika to be handed over to a Muslim country for trial. Going further, he denounced the attitude of the Swedish government ” who by supporting this crime had adopted a posture of war against the Islamic world and attracted the hatred of Muslim peoples “, according to him. The Iranian Parliament also condemned the desecration of the Quran. On Friday, hundreds of people took to the streets to denounce Sweden’s authorization of gatherings to desecrate the Koran.
Read alsoKoran desecrated: outrage spreads in the Muslim world, Sweden remains silent
Stockholm was the scene of two desecrations of the Koran, at the end of June and then on July 20, organized by Salwan Momika, an Iraqi refugee. On Thursday, he repeatedly stomped on and tore a copy of the book to pieces, without setting it on fire as he had announced. The Swedish police had authorized the rally in the name of freedom of assembly. In Iraq, demonstrations have burned the Swedish Embassy. Swedish diplomats have left the Iraqi capital after this act.
Iran / Sweden relations already complicated
Relations between Tehran and Sweden are already complicated by the life sentence of the Iranian Hamid Nouri for his participation in the executions of opponents in Iran at the end of the war with Iraq. This new case will certainly poison relations between Iran and Sweden, but also more generally Western countries.
Relations between Iran and the Western world are already complicated, due to Tehran’s nuclear program, its ballistic and drone programs, the aid provided by Tehran to Russia in its war with Ukraine, but also the detention of about twenty European nationals or bi-nationals by Tehran.
Iraq shaken again by protests
Fresh protests rocked Baghdad on Saturday over Quran desecrations amid diplomatic tensions, after police dispersed hundreds of Moqtada Sadr supporters heading for the Danish embassy. This latest protest, which occurred at night, was prompted by reports of what appears to be a desecration of the Koran in Denmark. On Facebook, the far-right Danske Patrioter movement posted a video on Friday of a man apparently burning a Koran and stomping on an Iraqi flag.