Iranian embassy calls on UK expats to ‘sacrifice lives for homeland’ | UK | News

The Iranian embassy in London has apparently issued an alarming call to arms to thousands of people, urging their countrymen living in the UK to “lay down their lives for the Homeland”.

Iranian diplomats call on UK-based diaspora to “move away” [your] He lives for Iran with a new campaign that claims to “defend Iranian territory”.

The call to arms, published on the Iranian consulate’s official website and via the Iranian government-run Telegram channel, instructs fellow Iranians to notify authorities of their interest to join the martyrdom effort. There is also specific reference to the inclusion of “children” in the campaign.

The brazen recruitment drive was condemned as ‘appalling’ by UK shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel, who called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the police and the Home Office to step in.

In the message shared on the official Telegram channel of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s London Embassy on April 15, a call is made to the Iranian diaspora in England to “move away”. [their] Readers are then asked to register their interest through the consulate’s Mikhak system, the Iranian government’s official digital platform for consular services.

The full recruitment message broadcast to thousands of people is as follows: ‘We inform our proud citizens living in the United Kingdom that they are being provided with the opportunity to register for the “Patriotism Campaign” so that empathy, loyalty and national enthusiasm can be displayed in an integrated format, with the aim of objectively realizing the national will and desire for the defense of the Iranian people.

“All brave and distinguished children of Iran are invited to consciously participate and register in this campaign, adding another golden page to the book of honor of this ancient land, showing that their hearts are devoted to the honor and greatness of their homeland.”

It ends with a chilling line taken from the famous series of patriotic Persian poetry known as the Shahnameh, or Book of Kings, composed by the legendary poet Ferdowsi: “Let us all, all of us, give our lives in the war. Instead of surrendering our country to the enemy.” Metro confirmed the closing lines of the poem with Saleed Talajooy, senior lecturer in Persian Studies at the University of St Andrews.

London-based campaign group United4Mahsa, which was founded in 2022 following the beating of Jina Mahsa Amini while in Iranian government custody, has expressed serious concerns about the embassy’s message to the UK diaspora.

Haleh Blake, co-founder of the group, said: “The martyrdom call by the Embassy in the UK shows that the regime has exhausted its available human resources and is now using public platforms to recruit murderers and bad actors against its enemies, which include the Iranian diaspora.

“This should be another clear alarm to Keir Starmer and the Labor government not to engage in any negotiations with the Islamic Republic regime and move towards banning the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which currently rules the country.” Defend Iranian territory. Readers are then asked to register their interest through the consulate’s Mikhak system; The official digital platform for consular services of the Iranian government.

The full recruitment message broadcast to thousands of people is as follows: ‘We inform our proud citizens living in the United Kingdom that they are being provided with the opportunity to register for the “Patriotism Campaign” so that empathy, loyalty and national enthusiasm can be displayed in an integrated format, with the aim of objectively realizing the national will and desire for the defense of the Iranian people.

“All brave and distinguished children of Iran are invited to consciously participate and register in this campaign, adding another golden page to the book of honor of this ancient land, showing that their hearts are devoted to the honor and greatness of their homeland.”

Priti Patel, the UK shadow foreign secretary, said it was “appalling that the Iranian embassy is trying to use the UK as a recruiting ground”. She called on the UK Prime Minister to “summon the Iranian ambassador to explain himself”, before asserting that “the Home Secretary and the police must immediately investigate and intervene to ensure the British people are kept safe.”

A UK government spokesman said: “We take the safety of the public extremely seriously and investigate all allegations of threats thoroughly. “We are clear-eyed about the threats posed by Iran and our first priority is to protect British interests and British lives both in the UK and abroad.

“Efforts to bring forward ban-like powers to restrict malicious state activities are continuing rapidly.”

Beyond being distributed via Telegram, Iran’s so-called Sacrifice Life Campaign also appears on the Persian-language version of the UK embassy website. The recruitment campaign appears prominently with a large banner at the top of the homepage, inviting individuals to express their willingness to “sacrifice their lives for the Motherland.” The English version of the same website appears to carry details of the campaign, but the link is still not working.

In a statement, an Iranian Embassy spokesman said: “Iranians all over the world have always, and always will, deeply care about their homeland and the preservation of its territorial integrity.

“The ‘Jan Fada’ platform is designed for all Iranians who wish to support and defend their country and does not promote hostility in any way. Any claims or assumptions to the contrary are completely unfounded. Such biased decisions are made hastily and without proper understanding.”

The Mirror has approached the Home Office and the UK Counter Terrorism Police for comment.