Iran summons UK envoy over 'destructive, interventionist' actions
3 Min Read
The UK government rejects calls to designate Iran's IRGC as "terrorist" but intends to widen sanctions criteria.
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Iranian flag flying over a building (AFP)
Iran summoned on Thursday Britain's envoy in Tehran to protest against "destructive and interventionist actions" after London had announced new ant-Iran sanctions, Iranian state media reported.
Earlier today, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said anti-Iran sanctions over alleged "human rights violations" and "hostile" actions on UK soil will expand.
"In response to the continued destructive and interventionist actions and statements of Britain, Isabelle Marsh, the charge d'affaires of the British Embassy in Tehran, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," state-run Iranian news agency IRNA reported.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry "considered the statements and positions of the British authorities as well as the recent sanctions... as an illegal and interventionist action," the news agency pointed out.
It is noteworthy that since the start of the year, Britain has imposed dozens of asset freezes and travel bans, citing alleged human rights abuses, on Iranian individuals and organizations including Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders and Tehran's prosecutor general.
UK rejects calls to designate Iran's IRGC as 'terrorist'
In a related context, the UK has opted to broaden the standards by which people and businesses can be subject to sanctions rather than accepting requests to designate the IRGC as a "terrorist" organization.
For the first time ever, the new sanctions framework will let ministers impose penalties on people for their alleged actions inside the UK and not just in Iran.
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly made his announcement to MPs on Thursday, which appeared to put an end to a long-running internal government discussion about whether the IRGC, an Iranian official body, could be banned over alleged, unproven "terrorist" acts in the UK.
Sanctions have previously been imposed on the IRGC, the Iranian popular mobilization forces (Basij), the morality police, and Basij Commander Gholamreza Soleimani, but any such prescription would have made membership in the organization, providing financial assistance, or endorsing its acts illegal in the UK.
The Foreign Office worried that a ban would result in the UK ambassador to Tehran being expelled. It also understood that the EU was not likely to act, as it still eyes talks with the Iranian government.
Read next: UK to designate IRGC as 'terrorist' group, Iran rejects
