UK summons senior Iranian diplomat over stabbing of Iranian journalist in London

Britain on Tuesday summoned Iran's ​Chargé d’Affaires, Tehran's most senior diplomat in London, after two ‌Romanian nationals were given lengthy jail sentences over the stabbing of a journalist working for a Persian-language media group in London.

The two men, ​Nandito Badea, 21, and George Stana, 25, -who British prosecutors said ​were acting as proxies for the Iranian government - were ⁠sentenced last week to eight years and 12 years in ​jail respectively for their role in the 2024 attack.

They had ​pleaded not guilty to charges of wounding with intent but were convicted at London's Woolwich Crown Court in June.

Pouria Zaratifoukolaei, known as Pouria Zeraati, ​a British journalist of Iranian origin who works for Iran International, ​was stabbed three times in the leg near his home in southwest London ‌in ⁠March 2024.

British lawmakers said last year that Iran posed a significant and wide-ranging threat to Britain. Iran's embassy in London said it rejected the "unfounded, politically motivated and hostile allegations".

The embassy did ​not immediately respond ​to a Reuters ⁠request for comment on the British government's latest move.

The British Foreign Office statement said the ​judge had "concluded that this attack (on the journalist) was ​carried out ⁠in the interests of, and on behalf of, the Iranian state".

"This follows a longstanding pattern of hostile activity by the Iranian intelligence ⁠services ​on UK soil," it said.

"Iran’s actions attempt ​to undermine UK sovereignty and security and are completely unacceptable – it must cease in ​these activities immediately," it said.

-Reuters