TEHRAN – Iran has summoned the Swedish ambassador to Tehran as Tehran ambassador in response to a “provocative and unfounded” statement by Swedish Minister of Education Johann Peson on the Islamic Republic.
On Monday, Swedish diplomat Matthias Otterstead was called to Iran’s foreign ministry, where Shalam Kazadeh, the third director of the Western European ministry, made a formal protest against Pason’s comments. In an interview with Swedish Daily Express Sen, the Swedish minister called Iran a “rigged state” and a “sponsor of terrorism.”
Qazizadeh dismissed Pehrson’s statement as “a baseless interventionist and a violation of international norms.” He further criticized the Swedish government’s patterns of engagement in unfounded accusations and hostile rhetoric against Iran, warning that such a statement could further strain diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Pason’s remarks came in response to an Expressen report that claimed that an Iranian student at Lund University in Sweden had previously worked for Iran’s intelligence agency. Iran strongly rejects these claims, calling them part of a broader Western effort to undermine the country’s image and hamper academic and scientific cooperation.
Qazizadeh also condemned the recent summons of Sweden’s recent Ambassador of Stockholm. Swedish authorities had requested the immediate release of Ahmadreza Jalali, an Iranian-born Swedish resident convicted in Iran on behalf of Israel’s Mossad.
Qazizadeh emphasized that Sweden has no right to interfere with Iran’s legal proceedings or to question judicial rulings. “The Swedish government is an advocate for individuals who are not in a position to challenge legal decisions in other countries or have been established through a legitimate process,” he said.