Israel calls for Europe to stop financing Iran regime after foiled attack

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Israel's head of government encouraged Europe to take a harder line against the Iranian regime following the arrests of six people in an alleged bomb plot against an Iranian opposition group.

"It was no coincidence that this attack was thwarted," tweeted Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday.

Iran’s controversial opposition movement, the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK, MKO), held its annual conference in Paris over the weekend. A number of prominent US figures spoke at the event, advocating regime change in Tehran. 

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is in Europe trying to encourage politicians and business to not sever ties with the Islamic Republic, following the US pullout from the nuclear deal and implementation of financial sanctions.

“The US illegal move to withdraw from the JCPOA should be considered a pretext to overlook the nations’ rights in bilateral or multilateral ties,” Rouhani was quoted as saying by the country's state-run IRNA news agency on Wednesday.

Netanyahu called on European leaders to "stop financing the terrorist regime that is financing terrorism against you on your soil."

"Enough with the policy of appeasement and weakness regarding Iran," he added.

Tehran has alleged that an Iranian couple arrested in Belgium is actually members of MEK. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Bahram Qassemi accused MEK of trying to undermine Iran’s position in Europe.