Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations her Department made to the Government of Iran following threats made in the Iranian media in the last three months against her staff; what assessment she made of the causes of those threats and the likelihood of their being acted on; and what steps she has taken to protect her staff in Tehran.

On 5^th September 2020, a series of baseless allegations were made against a Crown servant by the Iranian news outlet, Tasnim.

DIT and the British Embassy in Iran have publicly challenged this disinformation, issued statements clarifying the position of the Crown servant concerned and made representations to the Iranian government about factually incorrect reporting concerning the activities of the British Council.

However, it is important to be clear that no threats have been made against Crown servants in Tehran. The security of our embassy in Tehran is overseen by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, who keep the security of diplomatic missions under constant review.