WANA (May 10) – Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has strongly criticized Sweden over what he described as recent anti-Iranian measures, calling them neither understandable nor justifiable from the perspective of the Islamic Republic.

 

Araghchi made the remarks in a post published on Saturday on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), where he wrote:

 

There was a time when relations between Iran and Sweden flourished; Iranian enterprises prized Swedish brands like Scania and Volvo, and there was plenty of travel and other engagement. But over the past decade, we have seen a regrettable shift.

 

Sweden ceased non-sanctionable exports of medicines, including specialized and unique gear for children afflicted with EB. Routinely, police began standing aside as vandals attacked our Embassy in Stockholm; as recently as April 30, arsonists harmed our diplomatic premises.

 

Astonishingly, Swedish authorities also decided to grant citizenship to a convicted criminal AFTER his sentencing for serious violations: an Iranian national with ties to Sweden so strong that he barely speaks some word of Swedish.

 

None of this makes any sense from Iran’s perspective.

 

Despite the seriousness of the convicted criminal’s offenses, he has, like other prisoners, access to medical care and facilities. So instead of walking further into a dead end, I call on my Swedish counterpart, Maria Stenergard, to reconsider the choices that have brought us where we are today.

 

I am proud of the sizable Iranian community in Sweden, which has contributed so much to both our countries and their relations. Iranian enterprises are eager to engage in lawful trade, to our mutual benefit. It is time to do away with tired rhetoric and open a new chapter.

Sweden’s then-prime minister visits Scania’s assembly plant for trucks west of Tehran. Iran’s FM Araghchi’s Post on X/ WANA News Agency