TEHRAN – The Iranian embassy in London has forcibly rejected claims by Britain’s MI5 chief that Tehran poses a threat to British security, calling the claims “baseless and irresponsible.”
In a statement released late Friday, the embassy dismissed MI5 chief Sir Ken McCallum’s remarks on October 16, in which he accused Iran of orchestrating a “deadly conspiracy” and carrying out “cross-border hostilities.”
The MI5 Director-General claimed that over the past year, MI5 had identified and thwarted more than 20 potentially deadly plots allegedly linked to Iran.
“The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran expresses its strong protest and firm rejection of these baseless and irresponsible statements,” the mission said, calling the accusations “part of continued efforts to distort Iran’s policies and undermine diplomatic relations between the two countries.”
The embassy stressed that Iran categorically denies any involvement in acts of violence, abductions or harassment against individuals in the UK or elsewhere. It added that the claims were made “without any credible evidence” and were contrary to Iran’s longstanding commitment to international law, sovereign equality, and the promotion of peaceful coexistence and cooperation.
The statement followed Mr McCallum’s claim that British security services had disrupted 20 Iranian-related operations on British soil in the past year, a claim that Tehran has dismissed as misinformation aimed at escalating political tensions.
The embassy called for restraint, urging the UK government to “refrain from making or escalating unfounded accusations” and instead adopt “a responsible and constructive approach based on dialogue and mutual respect” and address common security concerns through legal and diplomatic means.
The statement concluded by reaffirming Iran’s readiness for dialogue and continued adherence to international norms and peaceful international relations.