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

LONDON, July 7 - 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