TEHRAN- The British free-to-air public broadcast television network ITV’s “baseless accusations” regarding Iran’s plot to kill two TV presenters in London have been vehemently denied and denounced by the Iranian embassy in London.

Iranian operatives allegedly paid a people-smuggler $200,000 to kill two news presenters outside of their London studio, according to a report by ITV News on Thursday.

Claims that are “not only devoid of factual merit but also appear to be rooted in preconceived notions and a Hollywood-style narrative to pursue their malicious scheme and goal against the Islamic Republic of Iran which was in the agenda of some war wingers inside the UK for a while” were rejected by the Iranian embassy.

“Iran as a responsible and transparent state is committed to its obligation according to international law and norms to not interfere in internal affairs of any country,” the embassy said in a letter.

The network initially brought up the “unsubstantiated” allegations of Iran’s alleged effort to kill employees of the Saudi Arabian-funded Persian-language Iran International channel, which were subsequently pushed by the British media and government.

The channel attempted unsuccessfully to argue in the British House of Commons last year that Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) should be classified as a terrorist group.  

Iran International said at the time that two of its journalists based in the UK had received “credible” death threats from Iranian security services. Those charges were reiterated in a House of Commons meeting by British MP Bob Blackman, who had pledged to campaign for the IRGC’s blacklisting.

The re-emergence of the claims is thought to be tied to recent developments in the region, such as a drive by the United States and the United Kingdom to form a coalition against the anti-Israeli resistance movement.

“It is disheartening to observe commissioned reporting that mirrors Hollywood sensationalism rather than adhering to the principles of objective journalism,” the Iranian embassy’s letter said Thursday.

“Such a report, exemplified by the recent ITV coverage, is not only condemned but strongly rejected. Accusations without proper substantiation undermine the credibility of journalism and contribute to the spread of misinformation.”