British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper provided an update to Parliament on the protests in Iran today (Tuesday), in light of the reports that thousands of people have been killed in the regime's brutal crackdown on the protesters.
"Horrific reports suggest that potentially thousands of people have been killed, and many more arrested in the most brutal and bloody repression against public protest in Iran for at least thirteen years," Cooper stated.
She called the protesters "voices ranging from shopkeepers to university students - protesting for change. Instead, they have been met with the most bloody repression. A total internet shutdown instigated by the Iranian regime from 8 January, together with restrictions on phone communications, means the full facts are not yet clear."
Cooper said that she is "fearful that the reports that we have seen may underestimate the full scale of the horror as further evidence and testimony reaches the outside world. Videos are still emerging, including of what appear to be protestor corpses lined up in body bags outside a hospital on the outskirts of Tehran."
She accused the Ayatollahs' regime of "pursuing a brutal and relentless crackdown on its own people" and stated that "it takes huge bravery to protest and to speak out in the face of this oppression - especially for women who continue to endure severe repression in their daily lives."
The Foreign Secretary stated that "the United Kingdom condemns in the strongest of terms the horrendous and brutal killing of Iranian protestors and we demand that the Iranian authorities respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of their citizens."
"It is a message I have also delivered this message directly to the Iranian Foreign Minister, Araghci yesterday. Setting out the UK’s total abhorrence at the killings, the violence and the repression that we are seeing. Urging them urgently to change course," she added. "And today, as further reports come through, the Minister for the Middle East, at my instruction, has summoned the Iranian ambassador to underline the gravity of this moment and to call on Iran to answer for the horrific reports that we are hearing."
She called the regime's actions "no aberration. It is no outlier. It is all too in keeping with the fundamental nature and track record of this regime. Consistent with its previous conduct towards its own people - as we saw during the lethal repression of protestors led by Iranian women following the death in custody of Masa Amini at the hands of Iran’s so-called Morality Police. Consistent with its destabilising actions towards its neighbours in the region - as we have seen in its backing of terrorist and extremist proxies, of its backing of Hezbollah, Hamas the Houthis and militia groups in Iraq and Syria and from Iran’s barrage of missile attacks on Israel. Consistent with Iran’s malign global impact - whether in terms of weapons support for Russia against Ukraine or its nuclear programme. And consistent too with Iran’s state threat activities on UK soil - posing danger to dissidents, journalists and the Jewish community here in the UK."
Cooper stated that the UK would impose "full and further sanctions" on Iran in light of recent events.
British Minister for the Middle East and North Africa Hamish Falconer also commented on his summoning of Iranian Ambassador Seyed Ali Mousavi for a repromand over the killing of protesters in Iran.
"This evening, I summoned the Iranian Ambassador to the UK. I made clear to him that we condemn the brutal use of violence and repression by security forces against peaceful protestors and called on him to ensure the safety of British nationals in Iran," Falconer wrote on X.