British-Iranian hunger striker meets Ukrainian Chief Rabbi: ‘We have common enemy’

A British-Iranian man, who is currently on a hunger strike, met with Ukraine’s Chief Rabbi Moshe Azen at the hospital on Thursday, stressing the two countries’ “common enemy”; the Iranian regime.

Vahid Beheshti has been in the hospital for 13 days, hunger striking for 72 days to demand the UK government proscribes the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“I was blessed by a visit from the chief Rabbi of Ukraine, the country that was attacked by IRGC drones. We have a common enemy and we stand strong together in this battle. Im very happy he visited me,” Beheshti said in a video, sitting in a hospital next to the Rabbi Azen.

Rabbi Azen thanked Beheshti for his steadfast strike against the IRGC, calling him a “hero.” Azen, who is currently on a tour in the UK, has also met with Tory and Labour MPS, as well former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, UK Chief Rabbi Mirvis and the speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle.

“Good people are praying for you and your health. and that Iran will become a democratic country. Ukrainians saw the damage from the Iranian drones, destroying infrastructure and killed people,” he said, standing next to Beheshti’s hospital bed.

Iran began supplying Russia with drones earlier this year, which have been used in the war against Ukraine. Ukraine and its allies have criticised Iran harshly for its interference in the war.

In April, 125 cross-party British parliamentarians signed a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urging him to ban the IRGC as a terror organisation.

The group of cross-party parliamentarians – including Conservative peer Lord Polak, and Stephen Crabb MP, Labour’s Steve McCabe and the Lib Dem’s Baroness Ludford and Lord Monroe Palmer – showed solidarity with Beheshti, handing him a copy of the letter sent to the PM.