This undated photo of Iran's IRGC commanders features Qassem Soleimani (L), chief architect of operations abroad who was killed by a US airstrike in Baghdad in 2020
An inter-governmental forum focusing on terrorism by the Islamic Republic of Iran convened its second meeting in Budapest this week, the US State Department said.
Countering Transnational Terrorism Forum (CTTF) was established as a global forum in 2019 during the Trump administration to “improve international awareness and coordination on Iran’s terrorist and other illicit activities,” a State Department statement issued March 30 said.
It did not provide details about the discussions during the conference or a list of participants, but said, “Governments and organizations from around the world, including from the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas, participated in this session.”
The Biden Administration has toughened its position toward Iran since last September when talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal reached an impasse and Iran launched a deadly crackdown against antigovernment protesters.
The meeting that was organized by the department of State and Justice “discussed how Iran continues to engage in brazen terrorist plotting across the globe, including through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Qods Force, and how Iran continues to use a variety of mechanisms to evade international terrorism sanctions. “
Last week militia forces controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard launched at least two attacks on US forces stationed in Syria, killing one contractor and injuring at least 12 US servicemen.
The statement went on to say that “Participants discussed how Iran continues to engage in brazen terrorist plotting across the globe, including through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Qods Force, and how Iran continues to use a variety of mechanisms to evade international terrorism sanctions.”