The Foreign Ministry summoned Tajikistan's Ambassador Nematullo Emomzoda on Wednesday to protest accusations that Iran was partly responsible for a car-and-knife attack that killed four western tourists cycling in the former Soviet republic.
"Tajikistan's ambassador in Tehran was summoned by the ministry's director general for Eurasian affairs and our country's strong protest over…the false and unfounded allegations against the Islamic Republic of Iran was conveyed to him," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said in a statement.
The envoy was reminded that such baseless claims would further encourage terrorists to intensify their acts of violence, he said, adding that attempts at inciting religious strife would only add to tensions and instability.
Deadly Attack
Two Americans, a Dutch and a Swiss citizen were killed on Sunday about 10km from the capital Dushanbe, after being struck by a car and attacked on a popular cycling route, AFP reported.
The self-styled Islamic State terrorist group claimed responsibility and released a video showing what it said was a pledge of allegiance by the five men accused of murdering the tourists. However, this was rejected by the Tajik police who blamed a banned opposition party that it said had undergone "military sabotage" training in Iran.
A spokesman for the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan, which was banned in 2015, rejected the claim.
Three other cyclists from Switzerland, the Netherlands and France were injured in the attack, according to Reuters.
Rise in Extremism
Qasemi said it was stated at the meeting with the ambassador that Tehran is ready to share its experience and resources with the Central Asian state to help prevent the spread of extremism and promote peace and stability in the volatile region.
A day earlier, the Foreign Ministry spokesman had denounced the incident, saying, "We condemn all terrorist acts all over the world, including the recent attack on foreign tourists in Tajikistan."
"The Islamic Republic of Iran denies any link with the incident and categorically denies that there is any base on its territory that provides training for acts of sabotage," ISNA quoted him as saying.
Ready for Cooperation
The official said Iran is ready to work with all concerned parties in Tajikistan to shed light on the attack.
He added that such claims could undermine the friendly and brotherly relations between the two nations—which share a Persian cultural and linguistic heritage.
Qasemi expressed hope that both countries would take steps to strengthen bilateral ties and not allow ill-wishers to harm their relations by raising provocative issues.
