OMM Redaksiyası
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that Britain will not tolerate “intimidation, threats or hostile activity” on its soil, according to Reuters.
The two ministers met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Britain’s Foreign Office said they discussed threats from Iranian-linked groups, including attacks targeting the British Jewish community, the conflict in the Middle East and the detention of a British couple in Iran.
There was no immediate comment from Araghchi. Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency reported that the ministers discussed bilateral relations and international developments.
UK raises concerns over attacks
Miliband’s warning follows an arson attack on four ambulances belonging to the Jewish community in Golders Green in March, as well as other incidents.
British intelligence chiefs initially remained open-minded about whether Iran or groups linked to the Iranian state were involved in the attack on the Hatzola ambulances and other incidents targeting Jewish communities in 2026. Intelligence later indicated that Iran or its proxies had been involved, according to the BBC.
In July, a small power plant in the UK was shut down following a cyberattack. The Telegraph reported that hackers affiliated with the Iranian regime were responsible.
Calls for de-escalation and diplomacy
The Foreign Office said Miliband also told Araghchi that Iran should choose “de-escalation and diplomacy instead of prolonging the war”. He stressed the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
In February, the United States and Israel attacked Iran, killing the country’s supreme leader. Iran responded with strikes on Israel and neighbouring Gulf Arab states hosting US military bases, while effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for about one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the UN General Assembly on Wednesday that any agreement would have to include an end to the US blockade preventing Iranian ships from using the waterway.
Responding to US President Donald Trump’s threat to “annihilate” Iran if a deal was not reached soon, Pezeshkian said his country would never “bend the knee”. The US delegation left the chamber at the start of his address, and there was no immediate comment from Washington.
British couple’s detention raised
Miliband also raised the detention of Lindsay and Craig Foreman, a British couple from East Sussex who have been held in Iran for more than 20 months.
The couple were arrested while travelling through Iran by motorcycle. In February, both were sentenced to 10 years in prison on espionage charges, which they deny.
The Foreign Office said Miliband repeated the UK’s call for their immediate release and emphasised that their welfare remained a government priority.
