A Turkish news agency reports that the Islamic Republic canceled a scheduled Polish film week two days after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Fox News that Poland was hosting a U.S. sponsored summit, aimed at discussing Iran’s regional, disruptive influence.

By Elad Benari

Iran on Sunday cancelled a week dedicated to display Polish films, which was scheduled to take place in February, in protest over Poland’s hosting of an anti-Islamic Republic summit.

Hossein Entezami, the director of the Cinema Organization, said that the activity has been suspended, reported the Turkish Anadolu news agency.

Polish films had been scheduled to be shown in February in the cities of Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz and Mashahd.

The Iranian move comes two days after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the summit, telling Fox News it is meant to promote stability and freedom in the Middle East and will focus on Iran’s regional influence.

Mike Pompeo with Binyamin Netanyahu. – Photo: Matty Stern/U.S. Embassy in Israel

The conference will be attended by Arab foreign ministers from countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates, among others. Pompeo has reportedly invited Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to attend as well.

The cancellation of the Polish film festival came shortly after the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the Polish Chargé d’affaires, Wojciech Unolt, to protest the conference.

In a statement, the ministry said it lodged an official protest with Warsaw for hosting the event.

Reminder to host/participants of anti-Iran conference: those who attended last US anti-Iran show are either dead, disgraced, or marginalized. And Iran is stronger than ever.
Polish Govt can’t wash the shame: while Iran saved Poles in WWII, it now hosts desperate anti-Iran circus. pic.twitter.com/iOOvhgtUsL

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) January 11, 2019

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, on Friday blasted the planned anti-Iran conference.

“Reminder to host/participants of anti-Iran conference: those who attended last US anti-Iran show are either dead, disgraced, or marginalized. And Iran is stronger than ever,” tweeted Zarif.

“Polish Govt can’t wash the shame: while Iran saved Poles in WWII, it now hosts desperate anti-Iran circus,” he added.

Pompeo is currently on a tour of the Middle East, with stops in Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait.

On Thursday, he gave a speech in Cairo in which he was highly critical of Iran.

View original Arutz Sheva publication at:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/257563