INTERNATIONAL NEWS NETWORK
The Iranian Foreign Ministry has summoned the British ambassador to Tehran in response to the repeated and unfounded accusations from senior British officials regarding Iran’s alleged interference in the United Kingdom’s internal affairs. British Ambassador Hugo Shorter was called in by Alireza Yousefi, Assistant to the Foreign Minister and Director General for Western Europe, who formally conveyed Iran’s strong objection to these claims. During the diplomatic meeting, Yousefi condemned Britain’s “biased and baseless allegations” against Iran, emphasizing that such rhetoric contradicts established norms of international law and diplomatic conduct. He warned that these accusations would only deepen Iranian distrust toward British policies, not only regarding Iran but also in the broader West Asian region.
Yousefi urged the UK government to reconsider its “unconstructive approach” and called for a shift toward more responsible and balanced diplomacy. In response, Shorter stated that he would relay Iran’s concerns to the UK government. The move comes as Iran pushes back against Britain’s latest security measures, which seek to place Tehran under stricter scrutiny for allegedly engaging in hostile activities in the UK.
Reacting to these developments, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei sharply criticized the UK’s stance, accusing Britain of hypocrisy. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote: “It is absurd to blame Iran for something you excel in and master: illegal interference in other nations’ internal affairs!” Baqaei further referenced UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s refusal to note Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, as well as Britain’s role in orchestrating the 1953 coup that overthrew Iran’s democratically elected government under Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh.
“The UK government seems to be doubling down on its irrational hostile mentality regarding Iranians, only to deflect from their own culpability both as ‘genocide denier’ and as a supporter of anti-Iran terrorism, tracing back to the 1953 coup against Iran’s democratically elected government, for which the UK’s guilt never disappears.” He also warned that Iran would no longer tolerate such actions without consequences.
“This is no longer the 19th century. Any government that makes unfounded accusations and takes hostile actions against the Iranian nation shall be held accountable,” Baqaei declared. The diplomatic dispute follows an announcement by UK Security Minister Dan Jarvis, who told Parliament on Wednesday that Iran’s government, security services, and the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) would be placed under an enhanced tier of a new foreign influence registration scheme.
However, Tehran argues that such claims are politically motivated and an extension of Britain’s long history of interference in Iranian affairs. Tensions between Iran and Britain are rooted in a troubled history. Many Iranians hold the UK responsible for the Great Famine and Genocide of 1917–1919, during which between 2 million and, by some estimates, as many as 10 million Iranians nearly half the population at the time died from starvation and disease. The famine occurred while Iran, despite declaring neutrality in World War I, was occupied by British and Russian forces.
