Khamenei: British Official Shamelessly Claims Iran is a Regional Threat

Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, stated in a speech on Saturday that he believes "Britain has been a source of evil and misery for nations in our region for two centuries." He added, "At that time, that shameless British official claims Iran is a regional threat." According to ILNA and ISNA news agencies, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made these remarks during a meeting with participants of the "Islamic Unity" conference on December 18. He said, "Recently, the British have shamelessly labeled the oppressed and dear Iran as a regional threat, but everyone knows that contrary to these accusations, it is the British who have always been the source of threat, corruption, danger, and misery." He continued, "Even if the enemies claim softness and appear well-groomed, they are, in essence, wild and brutal, and nations must be prepared to confront these immoral, irreligious, and unjust enemies." Last week, verbal clashes between British and Iranian officials escalated, with both countries summoning each other's ambassadors. British Prime Minister Theresa May stated on December 7 that Britain would help Gulf Cooperation Council countries stand against "Iran's aggressive actions in the region." On December 20, Nicholas Hopton, the British ambassador to Tehran, was summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, where Iran's government expressed its strong objection to the Prime Minister's remarks at the Gulf Cooperation Council meeting. The following day, Iran's Foreign Minister described May's statements as "exaggeration," while the Defense Minister called it a sign of the Prime Minister's "immaturity." On December 25, Boris Johnson, the British Foreign Secretary, announced that he had summoned the ambassadors of Iran and Russia regarding the situation in Aleppo. The day after this action, the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the British chargé d'affaires in a reciprocal move. The leader of the Islamic Republic had previously referred to the British government as "wicked" and claimed that it created ISIS and Al-Qaeda "to confront the Islamic Republic and Islamic awakening." In earlier remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei attributed protests against the results of the 2009 presidential election to some internal factors and foreign elements, particularly mentioning the British government as the "wicked British government." In response to Khamenei's remarks, Britain immediately summoned Rasoul Mohaidian, the Iranian ambassador to that country. In his speech on Saturday, the leader of the Islamic Republic again referred to global powers opposing the Islamic Republic as "oppressors" and described conflicts among Muslims in Asia and Africa as "results of the divisive conspiracies of the oppressors," stating that "the old British policy of divide and rule is seriously on the agenda of the enemies of Islam." He added, "In these circumstances, the English Shia and the American Sunni are like two blades of scissors engaged in incitement and division." Ali Khamenei did not elaborate further on the terms "English Shia" and "American Sunni"; however, he had previously stated during the anniversary of the founder of the Islamic Republic that "the Sunni that America supports and the Shia that is exported from London are, in the world, the same; both are brothers of Satan and both are agents of America, the West, and oppression." Some close to the leader of the Islamic Republic refer to Ayatollah Sadiq Shirazi, a Shia cleric, and his supporters as "English Shia." In 2014, Iran's Ministry of Intelligence announced that it had shut down the offices of several satellite networks in four provinces of the country, citing "incitement among followers of Islamic sects" as the reason. It is said that some of these television networks were linked to Ayatollah Sadiq Shirazi. In this context, the British Prime Minister's stance against Tehran aligns with the Gulf Cooperation Council. The Iranian government responded to Theresa May's remarks: "We will take appropriate actions." Strengthening cooperation with London: a model for Arab countries against America. Khamenei: Saudi Arabia's attacks on Yemen are the worst form of terrorism. Khamenei: The extension of sanctions against Iran is definitely a violation of the JCPOA.