Iranian lawmakers decry UK move to designate IRGC
Iranian lawmakers strongly condemned a move by members of the British Parliament to designate the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, vowing to take legal action.
During a parliament meeting on Tuesday, the Iranian parliamentarians in a statement said that the Iranian legislature, based on its legal duty to defend national sovereignty, security, and the authority of Iran’s Armed Forces, strongly condemns the Britain’s move.
The statement said the initiative, driven by “Zionist regime orders and the propaganda of the terrorist [MKO] group”, lacks any legal basis or political legitimacy.
The lawmakers also censured Britain for continuing its colonial and meddlesome approach toward independent nations.
Referring to Britain’s “dark history” of meddling in Iran, the statement said Britain has repeatedly endangered the Iranian people’s security and well-being through interference and acts of aggression.
The statement came after a cross-party group of more than 550 British lawmakers and peers have signed a letter calling on the UK government to label the IRGC a terrorist organization.
The UK government has not formally banned the IRGC, but it has imposed sanctions on its members and entities.
The appeal came shortly after British police charged three Iranian nationals on May 3 with offences under the National Security Act, alleging they acted on behalf of Iran’s intelligence service.
Britain and Iran summoned each other's envoys after the Iranians were charged with spying in the UK.
Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that the British charge d’affaires was summoned following the “suspicious and unjustified detention” of a number of Iranian nationals in the UK.
The head of the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Third Western European Department voiced Tehran's strong protest against the British government’s move, as well as unjustified accusations leveled against the Islamic Republic.
The official said detention of Iranian nationals is contrary to the accepted rules and standards of international law and human rights, because they were charged without any evidence.
The UK Foreign Office then responded on Monday by summoning Tehran's ambassador to the UK.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK would not tolerate what she called “growing state-backed threats on UK soil."