Downing Street defends Foreign Office attendance at Iranian embassy event
Diplomatic engagement a 'crucial part' of protecting British interests, says No.10
Downing Street has said diplomatic engagement is a “crucial part” of protecting British interests and citizens overseas following reports that Foreign Office staff attended a National Day event held at the Iranian embassy last month at a time of violent repression of anti-regime protesters.
A No.10 spokesperson was asked to respond to a report in The Telegraph that suggested civil servants had attended “a party at the Iranian embassy to celebrate the Iranian revolution” on February 12.
On the same day as the event, the US-based group Human Rights Activists News Agency announced that at least 7,000 people had been killed in Iran, including 219 children. Anti-regime campaigners previously said up to 30,000 protesters could have been murdered.
Asked for Downing Street’s view of Foreign Office attendance at the embassy event, a spokesperson said Keir Starmer had made it clear the UK considers the actions of the Iranian regime to be “utterly abhorrent.”
They added:”On this event, specifically, the foreign office has already responded. It is their job to maintain relations with countries across the globe, including those we fundamentally oppose or disagree with.”
The spokesperson said it was “standard practice as part of that engagement for the UK to be represented at these kinds of National Day events.”
They added:”This particular event has regularly been attended by Foreign Office officials under successive governments since the Iranian embassy reopened in 2015, and diplomatic engagement is a crucial part of how we protect British interests, British values,and indeed British people overseas.”
The Telegraph had reported how smartly dressed guests, including UK civil servants, had gathered at the London event, where embassy officials hailed Iran’s “remarkable accomplishments” in spite of “unjust” Western sanctions.
Video footage showed attendees standing in silence for a rendition of Iran’s national anthem. Seyed Ali Mousavi, Iran’s ambassador to the UK, also gave a speech praising the Iranian regime and attacking Western sanctions on Tehran.