GovWire

Mr Deputy Speaker,

I want to update the House on the steps that the Home Secretary and I have been taking to address the concerning activities of the Iranian regime and its operatives in the United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom is committed to defending our freedoms; values that define us and make us who we are.

None are more fundamental than freedom of the press.

The Iranian regimes violent oppression of their own citizens, and repeated violations of human rights have shown us who the Supreme Leader and his enforcers really are.

They have murdered their own people and made hostages of others. The protests that began in September 2022 show that it does not have the support of the Iranian people.

In recent months, the Iranian regime has publicly called for the capture or killing of those holding it to account.

That includes very real and specific threats towards UK-based journalists working for Iran International a prominent Persian language news channel and their families.

The Home Secretary and I absolutely condemn this outrageous violation of our sovereignty, and the attempted violation of the human rights of those journalists.

In response, we have put in place an extremely robust range of security measures, including armed policing.

However, because of the severity of the threat and the particularities of this site, Counter Terrorism Policing have advised Iran International to move to a more secure location in the United Kingdom.

Until their studio is ready, they have chosen to continue their broadcasting from existing studios in the United States. I can assure the House that this measure will be temporary.

Until then, Ive asked officials to help find a temporary location for the UK operations, and we will make sure that Iran Internationals permanent new studio in the United Kingdom is secure. I spoke to Counter Terrorism Policing this morning to confirm it.

Mr Deputy Speaker, let me be clear, freedom of the press is at the heart of our freedoms.

Tehrans efforts to silence Iran International are a direct attack on our freedoms and an attempt to undermine our sovereignty.

They will fail.

Democracy is as much about journalists and civic activists as it is about politicians.

The media must be free to work without fear.

That is why this government has already set up the Defending Democracy Taskforce, and why well be taking further action in response to these threats.

Now, I am not alone in saying this.

Earlier this afternoon, I spoke to my counterparts in France, Germany, and the United States.

They all agreed and spoke of incidents that have targeted individuals in their own countries.

When I spoke to Iran International over the weekend they praised our police and they are right to do so.

Only last week, the vigilance of our officers resulted in an individual being charged with a terrorism offence after being arrested near the broadcasters office.

Nonetheless, this is clearly an appalling situation.

The government, police, agencies, and our allies are working together to ensure Iran Internationals UK operations will resume.

These threats will not silence us nor them.

And I know this House will wish to express its support for that principle too.

Mr Deputy Speaker, as of last week wed responded to 15 credible threats since the start of 2022 to kill or kidnap British or UK-based individuals by the Iranian regime.

Between 2020 and 2022, Iran tried to collect intelligence on UK-based Israeli and Jewish individuals. We believe this information was a preparation for future lethal operations.

In 2021, UK police asked partners to share information on Iran-based Mohammad Mehdi Mozayyani, a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who worked to conduct a lethal operation against Iranian dissidents here in the United Kingdom.

We know that the Iranian Intelligence Services work with organised criminal gangs and I can assure the House, and the public, that we will go after anyone working with them.

Our partners in Europe and the United States are, as I said, facing similar threats and we are working together to keep our people safe.

My call this afternoon with other allies was about co-ordinating action that we will take to protect ourselves and ensure a unified response to these threats.

We are strongest when we work with our allies around the world and the Iranian regime should be under no doubt, and no illusion, that we are absolutely united.

Let me be clear: this is a persistent threat, this is not carried out by rogue elements, but is a conscious strategy of the Iranian regime.

And, of course, our government will act.

My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary has already summoned the Iranian Charg dAffaires and will be looking at further sanctions on those linked to the Iranian regime.

Already we have around 300 sanctions in place against Iran, including of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in its entirety. And today, alongside international partners, 8 further individuals were sanctioned.

But our response will not end there.

Today, I have instructed the Home Office to lead work on countering Iranian-state threats, making use of the full breadth and expertise of the government and our extraordinary and courageous police, security, and intelligence agencies.

We will target the full spectrum of threats that we see coming from Tehran.

Ill be asking our security agencies to explore what more we can do with our allies to tackle threats of violence.

But we will also address the wider threat from economic security and illicit finance to the malign interference in our democratic society.

At home, I know that the Charity Commission will soon report on its statutory inquiry into the Islamic Centre of England, which is accused of having links to the Iranian regime.

And we must ensure that our police and intelligence agencies have the power to crack down on state threats, like those from Iran. Which is why I urge this House to back the National Security Bill which is going through Parliament at the moment.

Mr Deputy Speaker, the relationship we have with Iran is not the one we want. It is not the one we chose.

We have a deep respect for Irans rich history and for the Iranian people.

From the Shahnameh to the works of Saadi the wealth of the nation has been in the words of her people. They taught ethics and governance, and the importance of law.

But today, the tyrants in Tehran have betrayed those great pillars of Persian civilization and are trying to silence those words and their own people.

But they will not be silenced.

To the brave Iranian journalists and community here in the United Kingdom, I say that this country, this government and this whole House stands in solidarity with you against the oppression that you face.

And let me directly address the Iranian regime, which is responsible for these heinous crimes.

We will hold you to account for your blatant violation of our laws and our values.

We will expose your crimes against the British people, and against the Iranian people. We will expose your actions around the world.

We will work with our allies to hold you to account, personally.

And we will act to keep our country safe.

I commend this statement to the House.