A senior British minister said the UK supports a peaceful transition of power in Iran, following threats by US President Donald Trump of possible military action in support of Iranian protesters.
Heidi Alexander, Britain’s transport secretary, told Sky News that the Islamic Republic is a hostile state that poses a security threat to the Middle East and represses its own population. However, she said the immediate priority was to reduce the violence unfolding amid nationwide protests.
“The priority, as of today, is to try and stem the violence that is happening in Iran at the moment,” Alexander said.
She added: “We would like to see anything that happens in future involving a peaceful transition where people can enjoy fundamental freedoms and we see proper democratic values back at the heart of Iran.”
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the killing of protesters during the Iranian authorities’ crackdown on anti-government demonstrations and urged Tehran to exercise restraint.
A spokesperson for the British government said London is deeply concerned by reports of violence against peaceful protesters and is closely monitoring developments.
However, Kemi Badenoch, leader of Britain’s Conservative Party, took a more hardline stance, saying she has no objection to regime change in Iran and that possible intervention by the United States and its allies would be justified.
“I don’t have an issue with removing a regime that is trying to harm us,” Badenoch said, accusing Iran of attempting to carry out assassinations on British soil. She described the Islamic Republic as an enemy and said it operates terrorist networks, including Hezbollah, across the world.
According to HRANA, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, more than 570 protests have taken place across Iran’s 31 provinces as of Sunday morning, underscoring the scale of the unrest.
