TEHRAN – Iran’s Ambassador to London Hamid Baeidinejad said in a tweet on Thursday that the BBC Persian is a partner in economic terrorism against Iran.

Because of portraying a wrong image of Iran’s economic situation and encouraging the people to take out their assets from the country, the BBC Persian has turned into a partner in economic terrorism, the ambassador noted.

Tehran has repeatedly said that the United States’ sanctions against Iran are examples of economic terrorism.

President Hassan Rouhani said in June that the U.S. sanctions against Iran constitute examples of “crime against humanity and economic terrorism” because they have targeted ordinary people’s “lives and needs”.

“It should not be said that the U.S. has imposed sanctions on us, because they are not sanctions. They are crime against humanity. They could be called sanctions if they targeted some of our sensitive industries, but they are crime against humanity and economic terrorism when they target the people’s lives and needs,” he said in a cabinet meeting.

Baeidinejad says Ofcom confirms receipt of Iran’s complaint

In another tweet on Wednesday, Baeidinejad said that the Office of Communications has confirmed receiving Iran’s complaint against the London-based anti-Iran TV channels.

He also noted that complaint against the BBC Persian is simultaneously being pursued through the BBC World Service.

Baeidinejad announced in November that the Iranian embassy in London had filed a complaint against the London-based anti-Iran TV channels for inciting violence in protests over rise in petrol price.

The ambassador said the TV channels, which also include the pro-Pahlavi Manoto TV, incite protestors to resort to violence and also broadcast false reports about rallies against increase in petrol price. 

“Our country’s embassy in London has filed complaint against Persian language anti-Iran TV channels of Iran International, BBC Persian and Manoto TV to Ofcom, because of the biased distortion of the recent incidents in Iran and also their invitation for the spread of violence,” Baeidinejad tweeted.

Protests were sparked in some cities in Iran against increasing petrol price. In certain cases, the protests turned violent as some rioters clashed with police, using knives and guns. 

Rioters, who were mainly hooligans, damaged public and private property and put banks and state buildings on fire.   

NA/PA