Iran's Foreign Ministry has summoned the British chargé d'affaires in Tehran, Reuters reports, News.bg reports.
The diplomatic protest was prompted by the arrest of Iranian citizens in Britain and the accusations that Tehran calls "false allegations" against the Islamic Republic.
Earlier this month, British police detained seven Iranian citizens in two separate operations. Last week, three of them were formally charged with acts that likely aid a foreign intelligence service - in this case, Iran. They remain in custody and are due to appear in a preliminary hearing on June 6. The remaining four have been released, but investigations are ongoing against them.
A representative of the Iranian Foreign Ministry stressed that such actions “are politically motivated and aimed at exerting pressure on Iran“. He added that “the responsibility for any negative consequences will lie with the British government“.
The British chargé d’affaires was summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry yesterday, where he was asked for an official explanation about the reasons and legal grounds for the arrests.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has placed Iran in the highest risk category on its foreign influence register. This means that Tehran is required to declare any actions aimed at exerting political influence in the country.