Iran’s vote to cut ties with UK sends warning - commentator

Iran’s vote to sever its relations with the UK is unlikely to come into force, said political commentator Kian Mokhtari, but should send out a warning not to meddle in its affairs.

The vote comes after the British ambassador to the Islamic Republic criticized its human rights record, and follows a general souring in relations which, Mokhtari said, has been prompted by Britain’s association with proxy terrorist organizations.“A couple of attacks [in Iran] were positively connected with Britain, they were proxy terrorist organizations, which are known to have established links with the British intelligence service,” Mokhtari said. Britain’s historic involvement in Iranian domestic affairs has also added to Iran’s anxiety, Mokhtari said. “If Iran were to take a microscope and look at Britain and go through every nook and cranny, it would find many irregularities in the way they conduct themselves,” Mokhtari said. “However, Iran does tend to mind its own business in such issues, because it considers it interference in other countries’ domestic matters, whereas Britain still seems to be in a post-imperial type of hangover and feels like it can speak out against domestic affairs of other nations.” London-based author and journalist Yvonne Ridley said that though Iranian lawmakers are “outraged” by the envoy’s comments, it is unlikely that the country would actually proceed with its decision to sever ties.“Looking over the years at the Iranian response to various insults and crises… the Iranian government isn’t known for its knee-jerk reaction,” Ridley said. “They are usually very thoughtful before they respond.”

On Sunday, the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iran's parliament approved a bill that will cut Iran's relations with the UK, reported Iranian Fars News Agency.