Iran summons British envoy after executing dual national over spying

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) – Iran summoned the British ambassador in Tehran on Saturday to protest the UK's "unconventional interventions" in the country’s national security.

It came hours after a former Iranian official, a dual Iranian-Britain national, was executed on charges of espionage for the British intelligence agency MI6.

Alireza Akbari, a former deputy defense minister, was executed in the wee hours of Saturday morning, days after being sentenced to death by the country's judiciary.

In a statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said Simon Shercliffe was summoned by the director general of Western Europe desk to protest "acts of sabotage" against Iran's national security, the ministry noted in a statement.

The senior Iranian diplomat said the British government "should be held accountable for establishing unconventional communications" aimed at Iran's national security while rejecting statements made by British government officials.

Akbari, according to Iran's judiciary-affiliated Mizan News Agency, was executed on charges of "corruption on earth" and "extensive action against the country's internal and external security".

The former official, who served in the cabinet of former President Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005), was accused of spying for the British intelligence agency on issues related to the country's defense affairs, as well as sanctions, nuclear talks, and regional issues.

He was described as "one of the most important infiltrators of MI6 in the sensitive and strategic centers of the country", who allegedly played a role in the assassination of Iran's top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in November 2020.

Earlier in the day, Iranian charge d'affaires in London was summoned over the execution of Akbari, which came after statements by top British government officials.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a tweet termed Akbari’s execution a "callous and barbaric act".

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement that the "barbaric act deserves condemnation in the strongest possible terms", adding that it "will not stand unchallenged."

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna also summoned Iran's charge d'affaires in Paris on Saturday over the execution of Akbari, the ministry said.

"He was also warned that Iran's repeated violations of international law cannot go unanswered, particularly with regard to the treatment of foreign nationals whom it arbitrarily detains," the statement noted.

The execution of Akbari is likely to escalate tensions between Iran and the West, according to observers, amid reports that the European Union is mulling a fresh round of sanctions against Tehran.