In a recent development, Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib informed parliament that a delegation of 14 Iranians was granted visas to attend the Brussels Urban Summit.

The presence of Tehran's mayor at the summit on Tuesday faced criticism from several politicians.

Lahbib revealed that her department initially opposed granting visas to the Iranian delegation but eventually relented after pressure from Brussels Secretary of State Pascal Smet. The delegation included the mayor of Tehran, Alireza Zakani.

Zakani's attendance in Brussels has sparked incomprehension and raised eyebrows. It was only a few weeks ago that Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele was released from a 455-day imprisonment in Tehran on espionage charges. The release was facilitated through a prisoner exchange between Belgium and convicted Iranian terrorist Assadollah Assadi.

Smet, in an interview with La Libre newspaper, did not deny his involvement in facilitating visas for the Iranian delegation. His office stated, "The Brussels Urban Summit is a major city conference with more than 2,600 registered participants from 600 participating cities worldwide. Tehran is a member of the global Metropolis network and was invited in this capacity."

Opposition MPs have pointed out Lahbib's responsibility in granting the visas, with Darya Safai (N-VA, Flemish nationalists) stating, "This cannot be justified," and independent MP Jean-Marie Dedecker suggesting that Lahbib should consider resigning over the matter.

Furthermore, it was revealed by La Libre that two Russians, including the deputy mayor of the Russian city of Kazan, were also present at the summit. According to Lahbib, they did not obtain visas from Belgian authorities but through another Schengen country. Photo by Mehr News Agency, Wikimedia commons.