100 Iran MPs call for relations with UK to be downgraded

Some 100 Iranian legislators yesterday submitted a bill to the Islamic Shura Council (parliament) calling for the UK’s diplomatic representation in the country to be downgraded from ambassador level to consular level.

Over the past two days, Iranian lawmakers and politicians have been calling for British Ambassador Rob Macaire to be expelled after he was arrested during an anti-regime protest in Tehran.

A member of the Iranian parliament, Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani, told Tasnim news agency that a date will be set in the coming days to discuss the bill.

The bill calls on the Iranian government to downgrade political relations with the UK to consular level.

READ: ‘Dial this down’ Johnson tells Trump in apparent mocking of US president

The bill also mandates the Iranian foreign ministry to take the necessary legal, judicial and political measures to fulfil the Iranian people’s rights in international courts and circles and to submit a report to the Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee on this every three months.

On Saturday, Iranian police said they had arrested the British Ambassador to Tehran, Rob Macaire, during an anti-regime protest in Tehran.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said the ambassador was detained for only 15 minutes.