Iran summons UK charge d’affaires over government’s new sanctions announcement

Iran has summoned Britain’s chargé d’affaires in Tehran after reacting angrily to the announcement of new sanctions by the UK government against three individuals within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force and an IRGC unit.

Those targeted with sanctions are accused by the UK of seeking to destabilise the Middle East by sponsoring and providing weapons to Iranian proxy groups and partners across the region including Lebanese Hezbollah.

Middle East minister Hamish Falconer confirmed to Jewish News on Wednesday that Britain “had our chargé d’affaires summoned in Tehran this morning.”

The minister said the response from Tehran was evidence that Iran was “not welcoming” the UK government’s increasingly tougher stance. Middle East minister admits ‘painful’ timing of Israel arms sale suspensions

Jewish News understands that the Home Office has also begun further work addressing “hostile state actors” which is believed to include further updates on the alleged threat to the UK posed by the Iranian regime.

Meanwhile the foreign office is also said to be examined whether a new category of state-backed terrorism needs to be devised.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy had outlined the new sanctions in the Commons on Monday, and while the confirmation of the suspension of 30 UK arms license exports dominated coverage of the statement in the UK, the four new sanctions directed at Iran met with an “angry” response in Iran.

Whilst in opposition, Labour appeared receptive to calls, including from communal organisations here, to proscribe the IRGC, which is an arm of the Iranian state.

But the party’s manifesto mentioned a possible new regime for state-sponsored terrorism.

The previous government withstood wide parliamentary pressure to proscribe the IRGC, arguing such a step could mean Tehran cutting off diplomatic relations.

Lord Cameron argued that this allowed conversations, which were often frosty ones, to take place with Iranian politicians.

Lammy told MPs on Monday: “We supported robust action against the Iranian backed Houthis in Yemen, who have attacked Israel directly as well as Israeli-linked shipping.

“And Iran should be in no doubt of our commitment to challenge their reckless and destabilizing activity, in the region and across the world.

“We are announcing new sanctions on 4 IRGC-Quds Force targets who have a role in supporting Iranian proxy actions in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Through the UK’s dedicated Iran sanctions regime we have sanctioned over 400 Iranian individuals and entities.

“And through our work with partners, we are exposing and containing Iran’s destabilizing weapons development, where soon, we will be introducing further regulations – to bolster existing bans on the export of goods and technology significant to Iran’s production of drones and missiles.”