Iran summons British diplomat over arrest of seven nationals in UK

Iran's foreign ministry has summoned the British charge d'affaires in Tehran, state media reported on Monday.

Britain's charge d'affaires was summoned on Sunday and asked to provide an official explanation regarding the reasons and legal bases for the arrest of Iranian nationals in the UK and what it said were "false claims" levelled by Britain against the Islamic Republic.

Earlier this month, British police arrested 7 Iranian nationals in two separate operations, with three men charged last week with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service, in this case Iran.

Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Saturday, charged with offences under the National Security Act.

All are charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist the Iranian foreign intelligence service between 14 August 2024 and 16 February 2025.

The three men were remanded in custody and will appear at a preliminary judicial hearing on June 6.

The other four men have been released from custody but still face an investigation.

"The responsibility for the inappropriate effects of such actions, which appear to be motivated by political motives to exert pressure on Iran, will lie with the British government," state media quoted a foreign ministry official as saying.

The British government has placed Iran on the highest tier of its foreign influence register, requiring Tehran to register everything it does to exert political influence in the UK.