Italy summons Iran ambassador after parliamentary incident

Italy summoned Iran’s ambassador in Rome for explanations after Iranian lawmaker Mojtaba Zarei tore up photographs of European leaders during a parliamentary session, including Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said.

Reports said the images of French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and Spain’s King King Felipe VI were also torn.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Tehran and the European Union following the bloc’s decision to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.