Iranian officials summoned the British ambassador on Thursday to express formal opposition to what they termed unfounded claims. This diplomatic move follows a London court’s decision to imprison two individuals involved in a 2024 knife attack, which authorities concluded was orchestrated by Iran.
The two Romanian nationals received sentences of 12 and eight years for the assault on journalist Pouria Zeraati, who works for the Persian-language station Iran International. During the sentencing, the presiding judge stated that the evidence strongly indicated the attack was conducted on behalf of the Iranian government. British security minister Angela Eagle condemned the incident as abhorrent and vowed to continue holding the regime responsible.
In response to the accusations, the state-run IRNA news agency reported that Tehran accused the United Kingdom of violating international obligations by providing a platform for media outlets it considers terrorist organizations. Iran designated Iran International and the BBC’s Persian-language service as terrorist entities in 2022, alleging these channels promote violence and are funded by Israel.
