Iran designated London-based TV channels as ‘terrorists’

Iran has declared war against the UK and two of the TV news channels based on the capital city London for their alleged role in broadcasting anti-Iran news to insecure the country.

In a clear warning, Iran said that the UK “will pay” for the measures it has taken to make Iran insecure. It doesn’t stop here as Iran also said it will send the bills of the recent seditious acts of UK and Saudi Arabia to London and Riyadh as they should pay for their anti-Iran actions.

The UK has been accused of having a hand in dissemination of contrived propaganda against the Iranian nation, and Saudi Arabia allegedly played a pivotal role in providing the financial support for riots especially anti-Iran rally in Germany capital Berlin.

Iran intelligence chief said that Iran International, a Farsi-language TV headquartered in London, is financed by Saudi Arabia and has been the main instigator of violence in Iran erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, in custody in mid-September.

Tehran also working to officially designating two London-based Persian-language television channels (Iran International and BBC Persian) as “terrorist” for their coverage of the country’s ongoing unrest. Tehran blamed the two channels and their hosts and backers for what it considered “inciting terrorist acts” on the Iranian soil.

Amini was arrested by Iran’s morality police for allegedly not wearing a proper headscarf (hijab); however, she was pronounced dead at the hospital just hours after her arrest. Iran has been engulfed in nationwide-protest since then, where men and women are demanding for more freedom and an end to the compulsory hijab.

Saudi Arabia, US, and Israel sponsoring protests

Iran’s chief of intelligence sees Saudi petrodollar spent on the anti-Iran scenario, including propaganda, audio and video coverage, rental of advanced equipment for aerial photography of the gathering, provision of facilities for the sizable presence of journalists, and even food distribution. For all of them, Iran said they are able to present evidence.

Iran also claimed that the US, Israel, and UK launched a kind of psychological war on the Iranian nation through social media and virtual space due to their lack of direct access to people as well as direct influence on them. The main financial support of such networks is Saudi Arabia, according to Iran’s intelligence department. There is no immediate word from Saudi Arabia on the matter, but the UK said London will stand with the people of Iran as they demand for freedoms.

UK reacted to the Iran’s statement

Anna Burt, Second Secretary Political and Human Rights said that the death of Mahsa Amini was a shocking reminder of the repression to which women and girls in Iran face. “Ordinary Iranians are now bravely risking their lives to demand accountability from their government and to insist their rights are respected. Iran must now listen: its suppression and barbarism cannot continue,” she said at the UN General Assembly Third Committee Interactive Dialogue on human rights in Iran.

She said that the UK stands with the people of Iran as they demand fundamental freedoms. “We condemn violence, including live ammunition usage. We urge Iran to respect the right to peaceful protest, to lift internet restrictions, and to release those unfairly detained. Iran’s leaders can – and must – choose another path,” she added.

Iran accused of plotting to kill two UK-based journalists

The Iran International, who is now in the terrorist list of Iran, said two of its journalists based in the UK have been warned by police of imminent and credible death threats from Iran by the Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

“Two of our British-Iranian journalists have, in recent days, been notified of an increase in the threats to them. The Metropolitan Police have now formally notified both journalists that these threats represent an imminent, credible and significant risk to their lives and those of their families. Other members of our staff have also been informed directly by the Metropolitan Police of separate threats,” the channel said but did not provide the names of the journalists.

The agency said their journalists are subject to abuse 24/7 on social media, and said that IRGC cannot be allowed to act abroad with “impunity”.

Founded in 2017, Iran International has been at the forefront of covering the recent demonstrations with exclusive footage of events on the ground, highline Iranian police brutal crackdown.

At least 300 demonstrators have so far been killed and thousands more arrested during the protests so far.

In 2018, there was a report that the agency was funded by a firm whose director has ties to Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. However, the Iran International denied connections to any government, including Riyadh or Tehran.

Iran has been denouncing BBC Persian and Iran International for years

It has been for years that Iranian authorizes denouncing the two UK-based channels BBC Persian and Iran International, but for the first time taking legal action against them over their role for guiding and “inciting riots, destroying public and private property and equipment, and terrorist acts.

BBC called the charges “completely fabricated” and said “threats of action against BBC Persian staff for the work they do as journalists is completely unacceptable, and the BBC will continue to support them.

The channel said that such false comments give countenance to the importance of BBC’s reliable reporting, which millions in Iran depend on.

Sanctions on British institutions and the two channels

Iran on Wednesday imposed sanctions on several British institutions and individuals, as well as the two channels and their parent companies. The sanctions include a ban on issuing visas for individuals, seizure of their assets on Iranian soil. Iran also blocked any bank accounts related to these individuals and companies.

Meanwhile, Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi claimed that some organizers of the “riots” have received training in eight different states, including US, UK, Israel, Germany and Saudi Arabia. However, he did not reveal the names of three other countries. Vahidi said the “enemies” want to turn the recent unrest in Iran into ethnic divisions.

The Iranian actions came shortly after the European Union and the UK separately sanctions  on a number of Iranian authorities and institutions for brutally repression of the protests and Iran’s alleged role in supplying Russia with drones used against Ukraine in the war.