Iran summons ambassadors of UK, Norway amid protests

Iran’s foreign ministry summoned the ambassadors of the U.K. and Norway over issues it argued constitute meddling in the country’s ongoing unrest, according to state media.  

The director-general of Western Europe within Iran’s foreign ministry called out Norway’s Parliament Speaker for allegedly “prejudicing and unrealistic comments” about recent protests in Iran, according to Iran’s official news agency, IRNA.  

The U.K. ambassador, meanwhile, was chastised for a London-based, Persian-language “hosting of the media” that Iran believes has produced “provocation and invitation to turbulence and expansion of riots in Iran on top of their agenda,” according to a second report from IRNA. 

The two issues could be considered by Iran as meddling in Iran’s internal affairs, state media notes.  

Iran has experiencing unrest in the week since a 22-year-old woman died in the custody of Iran’s morality police as protesters demonstrate against the country’s strict dress code and clash with security forces. 

Mahsa Amini had been arrested for allegedly wearing a hijab improperly and later died while in police custody. Though Iran denies that Amini was mistreated, reports suggest she was beaten while detained, according to a release from the United Nations human rights office. 

Protests broke out nationwide following news of Amini’s death, and Iran’s police and paramilitary forces have reportedly since been trying to quell the demonstrations, at times with tear gas, pellet guns and live ammunition, the U.N. reports.  

International attention turned to Iran as global leaders have moved to criticize Iran’s treatment of women — as well as its treatment of the protesters. 

The ambassadors of Norway and the U.K. have reportedly brought Iran’s concerns to officials in their respective capitals of Oslo and London.