The state media in Iran reported this morning (Saturday) that Ali Reza Akbari, the former Deputy Minister of Defense who holds British citizenship, was executed after being convicted of spying for the British Kingdom. In a statement published by the “Mizen” news agency, it was stated that Akbari was sentenced to death on charges of “corruption and widespread action against the internal and external security of the country through espionage for the intelligence service of the British government.”
It is also claimed that she is involved in the assassination of the nuclear scientist Mohsen Fahrizada, in 2020, in an action that was then attributed to the Israeli Mossad. The British Foreign Minister, James Calverley, last night attacked the Islamic Republic and demanded that it prevent his execution. According to him, “the death sentence is a political motive.” This is after BBC radio in Farsi published a recorded message in which Akbari is heard confessing to the crimes he committed.
The execution comes after the report in the “Telegraph” newspaper that Britain will declare Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization. This is after the Islamic Republic announced the arrest of seven people allegedly linked to the British Kingdom and who took an active role in the “Hijab Protest”.
Britain’s move, which is to be announced in a few weeks, was supported by the Minister of Defense and the Minister of the Interior. Officials in the kingdom began to build the case against the Revolutionary Guards, including the ban on contacting any party in the organization, carrying the logo in public or actively supporting the organization. Also, Steve Crabbe, member of parliament and friend of Israel, also supported the proposal and said that “this is the right approach”.
The head of the British intelligence agency, Ken McCallum, recently emphasized that the regime in Iran directly threatens the kingdom. According to him, “Iran threatens Britain through its aggressive intelligence services. This includes plots to kidnap or even kill British citizens who are seen as enemies of the regime. We have seen at least ten such potential threats since the beginning of the year.”