“The provisional state of the investigation shows that there was at no time a direct threat to Belgium,” the statement said, noting that the arrests had been made possible by cooperation among the Belgian, French and German authorities.

Three people were arrested in France on Saturday in connection with the foiled plot, but only one was still in custody on Monday evening, according to a French judicial official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with official policy.

The official did not identify those who had been arrested, saying only that they had been taken into custody to “clarify” potential ties with the couple arrested in Belgium and that two of them had been released for lack of incriminating evidence. The statement by the Belgian authorities identified the suspect still in French custody as Merhad A., 54, a suspected accomplice of the couple. A 46-year-old Iranian diplomat working at the Austrian Embassy in Vienna was also arrested in Germany as a contact for the couple. He was identified as Assadollah A.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran, a Paris-based group that organized the rally and is dominated by the M.E.K., blamed the Iranian government for the plot.

“The clerical regime’s terrorists in Belgium, with the assistance of the regime’s diplomats, had plotted this attack,” said Shahin Gobadi, a spokesman for the group, in a statement.

Javad Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister, countered on Twitter that Iran “unequivocally condemns all violence & terror anywhere, and is ready to work with all concerned to uncover what is a sinister false flag ploy.”

The M.E.K. was founded in Iran as a dissident group that targeted the regime of the shah and then the religious clerics who overthrew him with terrorist attacks in the 1970s. It also targeted Americans and was on the State Department’s list of terrorist organizations from 1997 to 2012. The group is made mostly of Iranian exiles living in the United States or in Europe.</s>A married couple with Iranian heritage was arrested "just in time" in Belgium as they allegedly prepared to head to France to bomb a large rally that an Iranian opposition group held over the weekend, authorities said Monday.

The federal prosecutor's office said the Belgian citizens were charged with "attempt at terrorist murder and preparing a terrorist crime" against the group, the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq. U.S. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, was among the speakers at the Saturday rally in the French town of Villepinte near Paris.

Investigators who stopped the couple Saturday and searched their car found about half a kilogram (more than a pound) of TATP explosives and a detonator, federal magistrate Eric Van der Sijpt said.

That could cause a sizeable explosion, considerable bloodshed and widespread panic in a crowd that was estimated to have reached 25,000 people.

"We can say we arrested them just in time," Van der Sijpt told The Associated Press.

As well as Iranian exiles, there were several American speakers at the event in a packed hall at an exhibition center north of Paris.

"They were planning a terrorist attack at a conference. I don't know if they were targeting somebody special," Van der Sijpt said.

A man detained in Germany appeared to be an Iranian diplomat from Vienna, Van de Sijpt said. The Mujahedeen-e-Khalq quickly sought to implicate the Iranian government.

"How convenient: Just as we embark on a presidential visit to Europe, an alleged Iranian operation and its 'plotters arrested," Zarif said in a Twitter message. "Iran unequivocally condemns all violence & terror anywhere."

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani began a two-day visit to Switzerland on Monday and is expected to travel to Austria next.

The Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, widely known as MEK, is an exiled Iranian opposition group detested by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The formerly armed group had been on European Union and U.S. terrorism lists before being delisted from both. The weekend rally had sought to plant the seeds for regime change in Iran.

"Regime change in Iran is within reach as never before," leader Maryam Rajavi said at the event.

The Belgian prosecutors' office said Belgian security services, France's domestic intelligence service and German judicial authorities had been instrumental in preventing another terror attack in France.

Police raided five homes after the couple was detained but did not disclose if they found additional evidence.

Three people also were detained for questioning in France, but two of them were released Monday with no "incriminating elements" uncovered, a French judicial official source said. Investigators worked to determine the Belgian suspects' ties to the third person detained in France, according to the judicial source who asked to remain anonymous because he wasn't authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation.

Trump's recent appointment of John Bolton, who spoke at a MEK rally before he became national security adviser, and Giuliani, a regular MEK headliner, are seen as moves that could strengthen the group's bid for U.S. backing.

TATP, the explosive that Belgian authorities said was found in the suspects' car, has been used in several terror attacks in Europe in recent years, including the 2016 bombings in Brussels that killed 32 people.</s>Belgian prosecutors suspect a married couple of "having attempted to carry out a bomb attack" at a conference of an Iranian dissident group, officials said on Monday.

The 38-year-old man and the 33-year-old woman, both Belgian nationals of Iranian heritage, allegedly intended to target a militant group called People's Mujahedeen of Iran, also known as MEK. The controversial group, listed as a terror organization by the US from 1997 to 2012, held a summit on Saturday in the French town of Villepinte outside of Paris.

Belgian police intercepted the couple ahead of the event and found about half a kilogram (one pound) of home-made explosives in their car, alongside a detonator.

"We can say we arrested them just in time," Belgian federal magistrate Van der Sijpt told the AP news agency.

Read more: Germany charges two for spying on Iran's MEK on behalf of Iran

After searching the couple's Mercedes, Belgian authorities also raided five homes over the weekend. A suspected accomplice has been detained in France and two others were being questioned, Belgian authorities said. An Iranian diplomat, posted in Vienna, has also been detained in Germany.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran, the umbrella anti-regime organization which is closely linked with the People's Mujahedeen, accussed Tehran of being behind the attempted bombing. "The terrorists from the Mullahs' regime in Belgium assisted by its terrorist-diplomats planned this attack," they said according to a statement quoted by the AFP news agency.

Around 25,000 supporters of People's Mujahedeen and other anti-mullah groups attended the Saturday rally in France, Belgian authorities said. Ex-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, currently serving as a lawyer for US President Donald Trump, was among the speakers.

The summit was held ahead of a scheduled visit of Iran's President Hassan Rouhani to Switzerland on Monday. Rouhani is also due to visit Austria later this week.</s>Belgian authorities arrested two people in relation to a terror attack that was allegedly planned at an Iranian opposition rally in France, the Belgian prosecutor's office announced Monday.

A judge specialized in terrorism in the northern city of Antwerp ordered the arrests of a married couple of Iranian descent on Saturday and launched a terror investigation, said the office.</s>BRUSSELS: Belgian authorities have detained two people suspected of plotting a bomb attack on a meeting in France of Iranian political group People's Mujahideen of Iran, prosecutors said on Monday.

The two were intercepted by Belgian police on Saturday, with 500 grams (1.1 lb) of TATP, a home made explosive produced of easily available chemicals, as well as a detonation device found in their car.</s>An Iranian diplomat has been arrested along with two people suspected of plotting a bomb attack on a meeting of an exiled Iranian opposition group in France, Belgian authorities said yesterday.

President Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani and several former European and Arab ministers were among those attending the meeting of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran.

The two suspects in Belgium were intercepted by Belgian police on Saturday, with 500 grams of TATP, a home-made explosive produced of easily available chemicals, as well as a detonation device found in their car, a joint statement by the Belgian prosecutor and the intelligence services said.

The 38-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman, identified only as Amir S. and Nasimeh N., were charged with attempted terrorist murder and preparation of a terrorist act, it said.

Two arrests linked to the Belgian case were made in France and Germany. The person arrested in Germany was a diplomat at the Iranian embassy in the Austrian capital Vienna, the Belgian statement said.

Staff at the embassy said the ambassador was not immediately available for comment. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is due to visit Austria tomorrow.

The Belgian statement gave no further details about diplomat, other than saying they were suspected of having been in contact with the Belgian pair arrested. It gave no details about the fourth suspect, arrested in France.

NCRI is an umbrella bloc of opposition groups in exile that seek an end to Shiite Muslim clerical rule in Iran.</s>BRUSSELS (AP) — A married couple with Iranian roots was arrested "just in time" as they allegedly prepared to head to France from Belgium to bomb a large rally an Iranian opposition group held over the weekend, authorities said Monday.

The federal prosecutor's office said the Belgian citizens were charged with "attempt at terrorist murder and preparing a terrorist crime" against the opposition group, the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq. U.S. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, was among the speakers at the Saturday rally in the town of Villepinte near Paris.

Investigators who detained the couple on Saturday and searched their car found about half a kilogram (more than a pound) of TATP explosives and a detonator, federal magistrate Eric Van der Sijpt said.

A half-kilogram of TATP could cause a sizeable explosion, and in a crowd estimated to have reached 25,000, considerable bloodshed and widespread panic.

"We can say we arrested them just in time," Van der Sijpt told The Associated Press.

As well as Iranian exiles, there were several American speakers at the event, which took place in a packed hall at an exhibition center north of Paris.

"All I can say is that they were planning a terrorist attack at a conference. I don't know if they were targeting somebody special," Van der Sijpt said.

The Belgian prosecutors' office said Belgian security services, France's domestic intelligence service and German judicial authorities had been instrumental in preventing another terror attack in France.

Police raided five homes after the couple was detained, but did not disclose if they found additional evidence.

A man detained in Germany "seems to be an Iranian diplomat attached to the Iranian Embassy in Vienna, in Austria," Van der Sijpt said.

Three people also were detained for questioning in France. Investigators worked to determine their relationships with the Belgian suspects, according to a French judicial source who discussed the ongoing investigation on condition of anonymity.

The Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, widely known as MEK, is an exiled Iranian opposition group detested by the Islamic Republic of Iran, which refers to them as "hypocrites."

The formerly armed group had been on European Union and U.S. terrorism lists before being delisted from both. The weekend rally, called "Free Iran 2018 — The Alternative," sought to plant the seeds for regime change in Iran.

"Regime change in Iran is within reach as never before," leader Maryam Rajavi said at the event.

Trump's recent appointment of John Bolton, who spoke at a MEK rally before he became national security adviser, and the president's choice of Giuliani, a regular MEK headliner, as his lead lawyer, are seen as moves that could potentially strengthen the group's bid for U.S. backing.

TATP, the explosive Belgian authorities said was found in the couple's car, has been used in several terrorist attacks in Europe in recent years, including the 2016 bomb attacks in Brussels which killed 32 people.

Elaine Ganley and Lori Hinnant in Paris and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.</s>Belgian authorities say they have arrested a husband and wife over an alleged plot to bomb a weekend event organized by an Iranian exiled opposition group in France.

The suspects were detained in the Brussels region on June 30 and charged with plotting an attack near Paris during a conference organized by the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO), the Belgian federal prosecutor's office said on July 2.

It said the suspects, identified as Belgian nationals Amir S. and Nasimeh N., were both in their thirties.

Prosecutors said the couple, of Iranian heritage, was detained while in their car, which contained about half a kilogram of the TATP explosive material and a detonator.

After the detentions, police raided five homes but did not elaborate on the results.

Prosecutors said a suspected accomplice, identified as Merhad A., was detained in France. An Iranian diplomat in Vienna identified as Assadollah A. was also detained in Germany.

The MKO, or People's Mujahedin of Iran, organized the June 29 Free Iran rally in Villepinte, near the French capital. The group backs the overthrow of Iran's leadership.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and La Libre Belgique</s>An Iranian diplomat has been arrested along with two people suspected of plotting a bomb attack on a meeting of an exiled Iranian opposition group in France, Belgian authorities said on Monday.

US President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani and several former European and Arab ministers were among those attending the meeting of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).

The two suspects in Belgium were intercepted by Belgian police on Saturday, with 500 grams of TATP, a home-made explosive produced of easily available chemicals, as well as a detonation device found in their car, a joint statement by the Belgian prosecutor and the intelligence services said.

The 38-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman, identified only as Amir S. and Nasimeh N., were charged with attempted terrorist murder and preparation of a terrorist act, it said.

Two arrests linked to the Belgian case were made in France and Germany. The person arrested in Germany was a diplomat at the Iranian embassy in the Austrian capital Vienna, the Belgian statement said.

Staff at the embassy said the ambassador was not immediately available for comment. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is due to visit Austria on Wednesday.</s>BRUSSELS (Reuters) - An Iranian diplomat has been arrested along with two people suspected of plotting a bomb attack on a meeting of an exiled Iranian opposition group in France, Belgian authorities said on Monday.

U.S President Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani and several former European and Arab ministers were among those attending the meeting of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).

The two suspects in Belgium were intercepted by Belgian police on Saturday, with 500 grams of TATP, a home-made explosive produced of easily available chemicals, as well as a detonation device found in their car, a joint statement by the Belgian prosecutor and the intelligence services said.

The 38-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman, identified only as Amir S. and Nasimeh N., were charged with attempted terrorist murder and preparation of a terrorist act, it said.

Two arrests linked to the Belgian case were made in France and Germany. The person arrested in Germany was a diplomat at the Iranian embassy in the Austrian capital Vienna, the Belgian statement said.

Staff at the embassy said the ambassador was not immediately available for comment. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is due to visit Austria on Wednesday.

The Belgian statement gave no further details about diplomat, other than saying they were suspected of having been in contact with the Belgian pair arrested. It gave no details about the fourth suspect, arrested in France.

NCRI is an umbrella bloc of opposition groups in exile that seek an end to Shi’ite Muslim clerical rule in Iran.

Its meeting, which attracted a crowd of thousands, took place on Saturday in Villepinte, just outside of Paris, a three-hour drive from Brussels.

“A plot by the religious dictatorship ruling Iran to carry out a terrorist attack against the grand gathering of the Iranian Resistance in Villepinte was foiled,” Shahin Gobadi spokesman for NCRI said in a statement.

NCRI, also known by its Farsi name Mujahideen-e-Khalq, was once listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union but is no longer.

Tehran has long called for a crackdown on the NCRI in Paris, Riyadh, and Washington. The group is regularly criticized in state media.

Following the arrests, Belgian authorities also conducted five raids in different parts of the country but did not elaborate on whether anything was found.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel on Twitter thanked police and intelligence officers for their work.

“Once more the good cooperation between countries has borne fruit,” Michel wrote.
Belgian authorities announce the arrest and charge of a Belgian man and his Iranian wife suspected of plotting a bomb attack against a Mujahedeen Khalq rally in France.