Iran Intensifies Threats Against Journalists in London

A rally is held in London in support of the protests in Iran. (dpa)
A rally is held in London in support of the protests in Iran. (dpa)
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Iran Intensifies Threats Against Journalists in London

A rally is held in London in support of the protests in Iran. (dpa)
A rally is held in London in support of the protests in Iran. (dpa)

Employees of businesses and media firms at London’s Chiswick Business Park were alarmed by the unprecedented deployment of Metropolitan Police in the area in recent days.

The move was followed by the deployment of counter-terrorism forces and later the erection of checkpoints.

The intense security measures are aimed at protecting the headquarters of Iran International, the independent Persian language channel whose staff have received death threats as protests raged throughout Iran for the third consecutive month.

As the protests continued to intensify, Iranian security and intelligence authorities increased their crackdown and threats against the opposition abroad. Journalists in western countries have been their favorite target after they exposed the extent of the excessive use of force the regime has used to suppress the protests at home.

Employees at Iran International told Asharq Al-Awsat that the threats intensified as the protests picked up steam throughout Iran.

British police were the first to inform them of the threat back in October.

They were told that the threat was real and imminent against employees at the channel, but they were vague on the details.

They revealed that Tehran had in fact been increasing its threats since about a year ago.

At the time Iranian officials were threatening opposition media without targeting any specific one. But since the eruption of the protests in wake of the death of Mahsa Amini in September, the threats have only increased, with Iran International actually being named.

Iran International is the most watched foreign-based opposition news channel in Iran. It enjoys around 33 percent of viewers, nearly double its closest competitor.

Iranian officials, meanwhile, have accused foreign-based Persian language media outlets of stoking the protests. Tehran has imposed strict restrictions on the coverage of the protests on local media.

Besides Iran International, Tehran has pressured the Persian service of the BBC and the United States’ Radio Farda and the Persian Deutsche Welle.

With the increased threats, British police upped security at the headquarters of Iran International.

The employees told Asharq Al-Awsat that the police coordinates and shares information with them about the extent of the danger and threats.

They spoke of an incident in which security noticed two men and a woman with a baby that were strolling back and forth in front of the channel’s headquarters until late at night. The security guards found it unusual that they would keep the baby out at such a late hour, so they approached the “family” to ask if it needed any help.

The guards were then surprised when the men asked about the security measures at the building. The guards informed the administration about the incident.

The employees told Asharq Al-Awsat that Tehran often turns to drug dealers, money-launderers or religious extremists to hire as agents to carry out its threats.

Last week, British counter-terrorism police increased their security measures at Iran International. They set up cement blocks like the ones erected at government buildings and tourism landmarks to prevent car rammings.

The British government had also recently summoned Iran’s top diplomat in London to protest against no less than ten plots to kill people residing in the UK whom Tehran views as “opponents of the regime”.



UK Dreams of US Trade Deal before Trump Tariffs

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) met with US President Donald Trump (R) at the White House in February 2025. CARL COURT / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) met with US President Donald Trump (R) at the White House in February 2025. CARL COURT / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
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UK Dreams of US Trade Deal before Trump Tariffs

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) met with US President Donald Trump (R) at the White House in February 2025. CARL COURT / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) met with US President Donald Trump (R) at the White House in February 2025. CARL COURT / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

Britain's government is hoping to reach a last-minute post-Brexit trade agreement with Washington to avoid -- or at least mitigate -- more tariffs set to be announced on Wednesday by US President Donald Trump.
Current position?
Britain has set out to strike a trade deal with the United States since departing the European Union at the start of the decade, but had been unsuccessful under the previous Conservative government.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, leader of the Labor party that won power in July, visited Washington at the end of February and came away hopeful an accord could be reached.
Trump himself held out the prospect of a "great" deal that could avoid tariffs on Britain, hailing Starmer as a tough negotiator.
Talks have continued, with Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds recently visiting Washington, while Starmer and Trump took up the baton in a phone call earlier this week.
It is thought that the UK government wants to agree some kind of trade deal ahead of April 2 -- termed "Liberation Day" by Trump, when he is set to unveil supposedly "reciprocal" tariffs, tailored to different trading partners.
It would follow Trump's announcement this week of imposing steep tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts, vowing retaliation as trade tensions intensify and price hikes appear on the horizon.
"We're engaged in discussions with the United States about mitigating the impact of tariffs," Starmer said heading into the weekend.
Finance minister Rachel Reeves on Thursday said Britain would not seek to "escalate" trade wars, in contrast to strong comments by other major economic powers that hinted at retaliation in response to the auto-sector tariffs.
What kind of deal?
Downing Street has described a potential agreement as an "economic prosperity deal", indicating it will fall short of a free trade deal ultimately sought by London.
As it stands, the United States is the UK's single largest country trading partner.
"Some type of arrangement that might let the UK escape some tariffs is possible but it would not be a full-scale trade deal," Jonathan Portes, professor of economics at King's College London, told AFP.
"Brexit is a double edged sword -- it gives us more flexibility and we can negotiate with a view to our own interests.
"But equally, it means we have less weight than as part of the EU and moreover we cannot afford to agree to anything that complicates our trading relationship with the EU," Portes added.
What could the UK concede?
UK media has reported that London may scrap a tax on tech giants to avert US tariffs under Trump and clear a pathway to a trade deal.
Starmer in response stressed that "in the end, our national interest has to come first, which means all options are on the table".
His spokesman added that the UK will "make sure that businesses pay their fair share of tax, including businesses in the digital sector".
The digital tax is currently worth about £800 million ($1 billion) annually to the UK Treasury.
Reynolds conceded that the digital tax is not "something that can never change or we can never have a conversation about".
Portes, along with David Henig, director of the UK Trade Policy Project, pointed to the risk of altering Britain's tax policy in return for a promise from Trump over tariff exemptions.
"If Trump keeps his word and the UK gains significant benefits as a result, then eliminating a tax could be a good deal," Henig told AFP.
"That, however, is quite a gamble."