Iran said on Thursday that Britain must be held accountable for making what it called baseless accusations against the country following the UK’s move to tighten restrictions on Tehran following allegations of foreign interference.
"Any government that makes baseless accusations against the Iranian nation or takes hostile actions against them must be held accountable," Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in a post on X on Thursday.
Baghaei was responding to the UK government's decision to place the Islamic Republic’s intelligence and security establishment on the highest tier of its foreign influence watchlist, citing concerns over Tehran’s political interference.
Under the new designation, Iran and any individuals acting on its behalf will be required to register their activities in the UK or face possible prison sentences of up to five years.
Referring to past British involvement in Iran’s internal affairs, Baghaei added, "You accuse Iran of what you yourselves are skilled at: interfering in the internal affairs of nations! But this is no longer the 19th century."
In his post, he mentioned the 1953 Iranian coup d'état during which Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh was removed from power. The event, historically understood as a US and British-instigated operation, involved the Iranian military and resulted in the consolidation of power by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last monarch of Iran.
The Islamic Republic says the objectives of this action were to safeguard British oil interests in Iran, following the Iranian government's refusal to accede to Western demands regarding oil concessions.
Baghaei accused Britain of trying to distract from its own record. "The UK insists on its irrational and hostile mindset toward Iranians, aiming to cover up its crimes as a supporter of the genocide of the Palestinian people and backer of anti-Iranian terrorism," he said.
