Iran strongly condemns UK’s positions, remarks after general’s assassination

Iran's Foreign Ministry has issued a strongly-worded statement condemning wrong and unwarranted positions taken and remarks made by British officials after the US assassinated Iran's top general, Qassem Soleimani, and his companions in Baghdad.

News ID: 448482

Date: 14 January 2020 - 12:27

RNA - The statement, issued on Monday, “strongly condemned” endorsement of the assassination of Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, and the deputy head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, by terrorist US forces, saying that it proved cooperation of the British regime in the terrorist measure taken by the US.

A US drone carried out an airstrike at Baghdad’s international airport early on January 3, assassinating Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and the PMU second-in-command as well as eight other people.

Both commanders were admired by Muslim nations for their great acts to eliminate the US-sponsored Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the region, particularly in Iraq and Syria.

In another part of the statement, the Foreign Ministry pointed to recent apprehension of the British ambassador to Tehran for taking part in an illegal gathering, saying it was clear interference in the internal affairs of Iran and against all principles that govern diplomatic relations.

Iranian media reported late on Saturday that security forces had arrested the British ambassador as he was trying to foment unrest in the streets of Tehran.

Iran on Sunday summoned British Ambassador Robert Macaire to protest his "unconventional behavior and attendance at illegal rallies" in Tehran held days after the shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger plane near the Iranian capital.

In a meeting, the deputy foreign minister and director general for the European affairs of the Iranian Foreign Ministry reminded Macaire that the presence of foreign ambassadors in unlawful gatherings goes against their responsibilities as a political representative of their country and it violates the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961.

Referring to the latest remarks by the UK’s foreign minister, Dominic Raab, who threatened Iran with more sanctions, the statement said, “It is clear that the British regime, on the basis of a wrong calculation, is still sticking to anti-Iran illusions and seeks to increase tensions in the region and in its relations with Iran.”

"British leaders must know that their accusations against Iran cannot hide their blindfolded subservience to the US regime and shameless inability of Britain to fulfill its commitments as per the JCPOA (the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major world powers) and even the fact that it has refrained from paying hundreds of millions of pounds in arrears to the Iranian nation due to its fear of the United States,” Iran's Foreign Ministry said.

Pointing to Britain's colonial background in the Middle East, it added that it is time that British envoys stopped interfering in other countries' internal affairs and ended fueling the flames of domestic conflicts.

"Britain needs to give up such disgraceful measures," the statement said.

The statement finally urged Britain's embassy in Tehran to immediately end all types of meddlesome and provocative activities, warning that in case of repetition of such a behavior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will adopt measures tougher than summoning the ambassador.

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