By Alireza Akbari

U.S. backing for Sharmahd, a terrorist ringleader, not surprising 

August 27, 2023 - 22:5

TEHRAN - The meeting of Abram Paley (the U.S. envoy for Iran) with Jamshid Sharmahd’s family on August 26 once again provided a chance for Western think tanks to follow their scenario of portraying the arrested ones in Iran as "innocent" instead of terrorists. 

Western think tanks and media outlets have kept following the scenario of casting doubt on the verdicts of the Islamic Republic's Judicial system anytime a foreigner is arrested in Iran, which is much different from what has happened in reality. 

It seems the West still does not believe in the victory of the Islamic Revolution which has put an end to the advantages of being a foreigner in Iran. The nationality is no longer a shied for individuals to protect them from standing trial. 

The prisoner swap agreement between the U.S. and Iran has also brought the reaction of the Westerners who shared their opinions about the deal. All in all, the Biden administration was criticized for its "alleged appeasement" of Iran, and Iran was congratulated for its access to $6bn of its frozen funds. Even in some cases the deal was termed as an incentive for Iran’s “hostile diplomacy”, or the release of the country's illegally blocked funds was labeled as “ransom”, according to the Westerners. 
Needless to say, Iran is getting access to its own money which was illegally blocked, so there is no mercy so far. 

Jamshid Sharmahd, a bloodthirsty individual 

Jamshid Sharmahd, born in Iran in 1955, was a German citizen residing in the United States. He was a member of the Kingdom Assembly and the leader of the Thunder terrorist group, which led a series of armed and subversive operations in Iran. One of the biggest terrorist operations under his supervision was the explosion in the Seyyed Al-Shohada Hosseiniyeh in Shiraz on April 12, 2008, where 14 people were martyred and more than 300 people were injured.

Thunder group, under the command of Jamshid Sharmahd, kept carrying out its terrorist attacks which were either failed or partly implemented.

How Jamshid Sharmahd was arrested

Upon Sharmahd's arrest in August 2020, Mahmoud Alavi, who was Iran’s Minister of Intelligence until August 2021, congratulated the anonymous soldiers, saying the U.S.-backed Sharmahd couldn't believe he would be arrested by the Iranian anonymous soldiers one day. 

“Anonymous soldiers” is a title attributed to Intelligence Ministry forces.

Alavi also said Sharmahd was seriously supported by the spy services of the United States and Israel.  

 "About 27 terrorist acts of Jamshid and his group (Thunder), were neutralized by the intelligence and nobility of the anonymous soldiers," said the former intelligence chief.

"Considering the crimes Sharmahd committed in Shiraz, we filed a complaint through Interpol, but he traveled to all countries under his real name; it is interesting to know that they (countries) did not prevent him from traveling. It is with the American terrorist and his European allies who knew he was a terrorist, but they absolutely did not prevent him from traveling," added the former minister, citing the slogan that the campaign against terrorism remains just in words not in action from the side of the Westerners and the American officials. 

 A look at the accusations read against Sharmahd 
“Corruption on earth” through the guidance and leadership of the Thunder terrorist group; planning and directing terrorist actions; bombing in the Seyyed Al-Shohada Hosseiniyeh in Shiraz.

The bombing in the mouth of the Sivand dam tunnel in Fars province; planning to assassinate Iranian officials; making plans to build a bomb and explode it in the library and seminary of Ayatollah Golpaygani (RA) in Qom; the 2009    explosion in the shrine of Imam Khomeini (RA); and the explosion of the Shiraz radio mast; explosion of a sound bomb in the Abdanan refinery in Ilam province; incitement in the Shahroud refinery; the disclosure of classified information on the missile coordinates of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps; cooperation with the spy services of the United States and the Zionist regime, and financial backing for the terrorist actions in Iran.

Carrying out an explosion in oil pipelines in Bandar Genaveh on August 7 of 2016, planning to assassinate a local official of Marivan city, planning to bomb the Russian Consulate General in Rasht in northern Iran; planning to bomb the Rasht Mosque during Friday prayers; planning to assassinate the then governor of Gilan province; planning to poison the drinking water of Qom city, and planning to explode the holy shrine of Hazrat Masumeh (PBUH).

Planning to bomb the Shah Faiz seminary in Shiraz; planning to bomb the mosque in the University of Shiraz, planning to kill the IRGC and Basij personnel, planning to assassinate the then Friday prayer of Shiraz, planning for bank robbery, planning to explode a bomb in the Tehran International Book Fair, orchestrating terrorist operations in Iran’s parliament, planning an explosion in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and planning 30 other actions.

Still calling him innocent?

The question is how can Western and American officials and think tanks call the Sharmahd arrest unjust? How could they close their eyes to the terrorist actions carried out under his supervision? Do European citizenship and residency in the U.S. guarantee a terrorist from being trialed?

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