Key Points
Iran rejects British claims of interference as baseless
Diplomatic tension escalates over security accusations
Foreign Ministry calls for reconsideration of approach
UK claims increased Iranian targeting of dissidents
In a statement released on Friday, the ministry said the British envoy was summoned to protest against senior British officials' "baseless claims" about Iran and their accusations that Tehran "seeks to interfere in Britain's internal affairs."
At the meeting, Alireza Yousefi, assistant foreign minister and the ministry's director general for Western Europe, stressed that the British officials' "biased positions and baseless claims" against Iran were "in contradiction with the international law principles and regulations as well as the diplomatic norms," and would increase the Iranian people's distrust of Britain's policies towards their country and the West Asia region.
He called on the British government to reconsider and revise its "unconstructive" approaches towards the Iranian nation.
The British ambassador said he would convey Iran's protest to his government, reports Xinhua news agency.
In an address on Tuesday to Britain's parliament, British Security Minister Dan Jarvis said he "will place the whole of the Iranian state, including its intelligence services, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and Ministry of Intelligence," into the enhanced tier of the upcoming Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, which is designed to protect Britain against covert foreign influence.
He claimed that direct action by Iran against targets in Britain "has substantially increased over recent years," adding Iran's establishment was "targeting dissidents, media organisations and journalists."
In a statement on Wednesday, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei rejected the claims as "baseless" and called on Britain to stop its "unconstructive" approaches towards Iran and the West Asia region.
