Iran expands its terrorist sponsorship in the Balkans

 

By Pejman Amiri

From the onset the mullah’s regime in Iran, the issue of exporting revolution or to be more exact, Islamic fundamentalism, has been one of the pillars of the external policy. One of the aspects of this devastative activities can be distinguished in the Middle East, but the impact of this policy in other parts of the world has been much less noticed. Related to this subject, Peiman Amiri wrote a piece in American Thinker.

The U.S. Congress' recent bill of sanctions on Iran mainly cites the Iranian regime's terrorist activities throughout the Middle East.

The recently released Country Reports on Terrorism 2016 by the U.S. State Department says:

“Iran continued its terrorist-related activity in 2016, including support for Hezbollah, Palestinian terrorist groups in Gaza, and various groups in Syria, Iraq, and throughout the Middle East. Iran used the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps‑Quds Force (IRGC-QF) to implement foreign policy goals, provide cover for intelligence operations, and create instability in the Middle East. Iran has acknowledged the involvement of the IRGC-QF in the conflicts in Iraq and Syria and the IRGC-QF is Iran’s primary mechanism for cultivating and supporting terrorists abroad.”

The report is strong, however it does not mention anything on the Iranian regime’s terrorist activities in Europe.

Iran's promotion of its brand of Shi'ite Islam, linked with its terrorist-related activities across the Middle East has been obvious for decades, but such activities in Europe have largely managed to fly under the radar. The Iranian regime is advancing its presence and resources considerably in Europe, especially, in the Balkans.

In 2016, the Iranian regime’s Balkans-centered efforts came under scrutiny when an Iranian cleric in Kosovo was charged with financing terrorism and money-laundering through a nominally non-governmental organization he operated. Kosovar authorities claimed Hasan Azari Bejandi, charged on July 26, 2016, ran five Shi'ite organizations with links to Tehran.