"Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, by telephone, according to a copy of a Hungarian government transcript of the Sept. 30 call obtained and authenticated by a Western intelligence service and reviewed by The Washington Post. 'Our secret service has already contacted your services and we will share all the information we have gathered during the investigation.'"
"Szijjarto was keen to stress to Araghchi that his country had not been involved in any way in the Sept. 17 attack in Lebanon that killed 12 people and wounded as many as 2,800 and that the pagers had not been made in Hungary."
"The call - and Szijjarto's apparent readiness to curry favor with Iran's foreign minister - pose uncomfortable questions about the Orban government's relationship with Iran at a time when the Trump administration is locked in conflict with Tehran."
"The call also jars with the Orban government's official policy of support for Israel, frequently breaking with its European counterparts to back Israel in United Nations Security Council votes."
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government offered assistance to Iran after a deadly Israeli attack in September 2024. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto communicated with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, promising to share investigation information. Szijjarto emphasized Hungary's non-involvement in the attack and clarified that the pagers linked to the incident were not manufactured in Hungary. This call raises concerns about Hungary's ties with Iran, especially as the U.S. supports Orban's reelection while opposing Tehran. The situation contrasts with Hungary's official support for Israel, complicating its diplomatic stance.
Read at The Washington Post
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