Iran summons British ambassador as tensions soar
Al Jazeera
The UK has accused Iran-backed groups of attacking a US base in Jordan, and imposed sanctions on a network linked to Iran.
Iran summoned the British ambassador to Tehran to protest against the “baseless accusations” and sanctions by London.
“Following the continuation of the British regime’s accusations against the Islamic Republic of Iran, Simon Shercliff, the British ambassador in Tehran, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs … and was informed of our country’s strong protest”, the IRNA state news agency said on Tuesday.
While the statement did not explain the accusation against the United Kingdom, it said the director general of Western Europe at the Iranian foreign ministry, Majid Nili Ahmadabadi, criticised the British government and said its actions were another “destructive and unconstructive” act towards Iran.
“This is a bitter historical irony that a country that is the founder and supporter of organised terrorist groups, drug trafficking, and criminal gangs wants to make accusations against the Islamic Republic of Iran and its loyal and honest forces, who are at the forefront of fighting organised crimes,” the official, cited by IRNA, said.
The summons came after the UK announced sanctions on Iranian officials it said were involved in threats to kill journalists on British soil and others it said were part of international criminal gangs linked to Tehran.
