The Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned British Ambassador to Iran Simon Shercliff to strongly protest Britain's recent "baseless" accusations and "illegal" sanctions against Iran.
The British envoy was summoned by Director General of Western Europe at the Iranian Foreign Ministry Majid Nili Ahmadabadi, following "accusations by Britain's regime" against Iran, according to the statement published on the ministry's website.
Shercliff was summoned after Britain on Monday imposed sanctions on a number of Iranian officials, including members of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).
London claimed that some of the Iranian officials had been "involved in threats to kill journalists on the British soil" while others were "part of international criminal gangs linked to Iran."
Ahmadabadi also criticized "illegal" British sanctions imposed on Iran under "unreal pretexts," while strongly condemning British officials' "baseless and unfounded" accusations against Tehran.
He said the British government's bid to sour the atmosphere against Iran was another "unconstructive and destructive" measure that was doomed to failure.
The British ambassador, for his part, pledged to convey Iran's protest to London.
What happened?
The UK sanctioned 7 Iranian individuals and members of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Unit 840.
UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said that the criminal gangs who operate on Iran's behalf pose an unacceptable threat to the UK’s security.
"The package exposes the roles of the Iranian officials and gangs involved in activity aimed to undermine, silence and disrupt the democratic freedoms we value in the UK. The UK and US have sent a clear message - we will not tolerate this threat," Cameron said.
