ALWAGHT- Iran has called Sweden’s ambassador to Tehran following "inflammatory and baseless" comments made by the Swedish minister of education about the Islamic Republic.
On Monday, Iran summoned Swedish ambassador Mattias Otterstedt to formally express its strong protest over comments made by Swedish Minister Johan Pehrson, who called Iran a "rogue state" and a "sponsor of terrorism." Shahram Qazizadeh, head of Iran’s Third Department for Western Europe, rejected the remarks as "unfounded, interventionist, and contrary to international norms."
Qazizadeh criticized the Swedish government for making baseless accusations and warned that such rhetoric could harm diplomatic relations between the two countries. The controversy stemmed from Pehrson’s comments to Swedish media, where he alleged that Iran had institutionalized misogyny, anti-Semitism, and terrorism, following claims about an Iranian student’s alleged ties to Iran’s intelligence services.
In addition to the protest over Pehrson’s remarks, Qazizadeh condemned Sweden’s recent demand for the release of Ahmadreza Jalali, an Iran-born individual convicted of espionage for Israel’s Mossad. He argued that Sweden had no right to interfere in Iran’s legal matters, especially regarding individuals whose crimes were legally established. This is not the first time Iran has summoned Sweden’s ambassador, with previous protests over Sweden harboring anti-Iran groups and allowing the desecration of the Qur'an.
