Iran Summons UK Envoy Over "Meddlesome" Comments On Anti-Hijab Protests

Iran said Wednesday it had summoned British ambassador Simon Shercliff to hear a protest over "meddlesome statements" on the unrest sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini.

A wave of unrest has rocked Iran since the 22-year-old Kurd died on September 16 after her arrest by the morality police in Tehran for allegedly failing to observe the Islamic republic's strict dress code for women.

The street violence has led to the deaths of dozens of people -- mostly protesters but also members of the security forces.

Tehran "rejects and strongly condemns the interference of the British foreign ministry in Iran's internal affairs by resorting to fake and provocative interpretations," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"Unfortunately, by issuing unilateral and selective statements, the British side shows that it has a share in the scenarios of the enemies who are active in Britain and are acting against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

"Iran will consider possible options for a reciprocal response to any unconventional actions by the British side," the ministry said, adding that it had made its protest on Tuesday.

Also on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned the European Union of a response a day after its foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the 27-member bloc is considering sanctions on Iran over Amini's death.

"If the EU wants to take a hasty and ill-considered action with a double standard approach, it should wait for the effective and reciprocal action of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Amir-Abdollahian said in a phone call with his Italian counterpart.

"During the recent events, foreign interventionists, organised agents and terrorists, especially in Zahedan and the west of Iran, pushed the path of peaceful gatherings of people towards violence, riots and killing of innocent people, the police and security forces."

Earlier in the day, in an Instagram post, foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani accused "Western governments" of meddling in Iran's affairs.

"The interfering behaviour and open support of some Western governments for the recent disturbances in Iran and the continuation of their provocative behaviour proved that whenever they see an opportunity, they will not hesitate to take direct and indirect action against the stability, security and establishment of our country and system," Kanani said.

On Monday, the British foreign ministry summoned Iran's top diplomat in London to criticise the way Iranian authorities are handling the protests.

"The violence levelled at protesters in Iran by the security forces is truly shocking," foreign minister James Cleverly said.

"We will continue to work with our partners to hold the Iranian authorities to account for their flagrant human rights violations," he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)