PEACE IN OUR TIME: Charges Against Cleric Put Iran’s Balkan Activities Under Spotlight.

Bejandi is the most high-profile Iranian cleric to be accused in the predominantly Muslim country, potentially cutting off a rare avenue of influence for Tehran in Europe, where charities believed to be tied to Iran also operate in Albania, Macedonia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The charges against Bejandi come amid a recent crackdown by authorities on foreign-funded Islamic organizations, which the government blames for the radicalization of Kosovar youths and the high numbers of people who have joined extremist groups in Syria and Iraq.

I had been assured that cutting a nuclear deal with Iran would empower the moderates in Tehran and help put an end to these hardline shenanigans.