BREAKING: Iran’s ambassador to UK summoned to Foreign Office over lethal protest crackdown
Iran’s ambassador to the UK has been summoned to the Foreign Office over Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper raised horrific reports of potentially thousands of people killed in the regime’s most brutal response for 13 years. But with an ongoing internet shutdown in the country, Ms Cooper said she feared the reports “may underestimate the full-scale of the horror”.
Updating MPs, the Foreign Office has summoned the Iranian ambassador to the UK, Seyed Ali Mousavi, over the country’s response.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Ms Cooper said she had spoken to the Iranian foreign minister on Monday “setting out the UK’s total abhorrence of the killings, the violence, and the repression that we are seeing”.
She said: “Today, as the further reports have come through, the minister for the Middle East (Hamish Falconer) at my instruction has summoned the Iranian ambassador to underline the gravity of this moment, and to call Iran to answer for the horrific reports that we are hearing.”
Ms Cooper also announced plans for “full and further sanctions” against Iran targeting finance, energy, transport, software and other significant industries.
The Foreign Secretary said Iran claims that its domestic protests are due to foreign influence and instigation are “lies and propaganda”. She said: “Just as they did in 2022, it’s absolutely clear the Iranian regime are trying to paint these protests as the result of foreign influence and instigation.
“They’re using that accusation to try and whip up opposition to the protests amongst anti-Western Iranians and try to justify their vicious and sickening attacks on the ordinary civilians marching through the streets. These are nothing but lies and propaganda being spread by a desperate regime.
“They must not be allowed to undermine a genuine grassroots movement drawing together people from all parts of Iranian society and spreading across multiple cities and regions.
“And that is why we and other governments across the world are determined not to play into the hands of the regime or to allow our words or actions to be twisted to support their lies and propaganda…
“The world is watching Iran, and the UK will continue to confront the regime’s lies, to call out its repression and to take the steps necessary to protect the UK’s interests.”
