UK’s Probe into Saudi-Funded Pro-Terrorism TV Still Underway

TEHRAN (defapress)- Iranian Ambassador to London Hamid Baeidinejad announced that the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications in UK (Ofcom) is still investigating the case of Saudi-funded 'Iran International' television network.

News ID: 74122

Date: 04 December 2018 - 15:10

“Ofcom which is monitoring British broadcasting wrote in its bulletin today, confirming that the Iranian embassy's complaint in London of 'Iran International' news network is officially under its consideration,” Hamid Baeidinejad broke the news on Monday posting a message on his Twitter account.

On September 24, Iran's Embassy in Britain filed a lawsuit against the London-based TV channel 'Iran International' at the UK’s communications regulator Ofcom over the channel’s support for a terrorist group involved in the Saturday attack on a military parade in the city of Ahwaz in Southwestern Khuzestan province

On October 31, the British newspaper “the Guardian” revealed that UK-based Iran International satellite TV channel is being funded through a secretive offshore entity and a company whose director is a Saudi Arabian businessman with close links to the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.

An hour after a terrorist attack was carried out on September 22 in Iranian Southwestern city of Ahwaz, the Iran International aired an interview with the spokesman of al-Ahwaziyeh terrorist group who claimed the responsibility of the brutal attack which claimed the lives of 26 innocent people and injured 69 others.

The move was strongly criticized by the Iranian ambassador to London who filed a lawsuit against the UK-based TV channel at the UK’s communications regulator Ofcom.

“Iran International has shamefully broadcast an interview with the spokesperson of the terrorist group behind today's terrorist attack in Ahwaz. We condemn this heinous act and will pursue formally with Ofcom to investigate it as an act in supporting terrorism and violence,” he said in a tweet.

The Iranian foreign ministry also conveyed the country’s strong protest to the interim British chargé d’affaires in Tehran, who was summoned in the absence of British ambassador.

In addition to al-Ahwaziyeh, the Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group also claimed it was behind the attack and published online purported footage of the assailants.

Three of the four assailants involved in the attack were killed by Iranian security forces, and a fourth one was arrested but later died of the wounds he had sustained during a security chase.

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