The Shadow Foreign Secretary has taken aim at Sir Keir Starmer for “sitting in silence” over deadly protests in Iran which have left at least 16 dead over the past week.
The Islamic republic is currently embattled with its biggest demonstrations since 2022 after the nation’s currency took a hit and citizens started to voice their disdain for the regime.
However, critics of Sir Keir have pointed out the Prime Minister has remained quiet on the matter.
Speaking on the Camilla Tominey Show, Dame Priti raged: “They are dying for their freedom, and that might be a difficult concept for us to comprehend. They are fighting and dying for their freedom.
“Look at the tyrannical regime with the ayatollahs in Tehran.
“It is extraordinary with the level of protests that we’ve seen. We haven’t seen protests of this nature, I think since 2022, when we saw the most appalling brutality against women in particular for not fully covering their hair.
“This is a really big moment, actually. It could be a crossroads. It could be a turning point.”
She added: “They’re a threat to our national security. So how can we have a Prime Minister in a Labour Government that sits in silence and sits on their hands?
Dame Priti Patel joined Camilla Tominey on GB News this morning
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“At this particular moment, I just don’t think that’s acceptable.”
The protests were reignited on December 28 when shopkeepers striked over economic worries.
A week on, huge clashes have broken out across Tehran and other major hubs all around the nation while violent brawls have left protesters injured and even dead.
At least 16 were killed during the unrest, rights groups told Reuters on Sunday, while skyrocketing inflation has spurred on more protests.
Protests have broken out across the nation
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International criticism of Tehran is rife, with US President Donald Trump leading the charge.
The world leader has threatened to support the protesters’ rights if they were subject to violence, declaring the US “locked and loaded and ready to go”.
But Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamednei vowed Iran “will not yield to the enemy”.
While Kurdish rights group Hengaw said at least 17 people were killed since the protests began, HRANA, which is a network of rights activists, reported at least 16 people were killed and 582 arrested.
Iran’s police chief Ahma claimed security forces were zoning in on the arrest of protest leaders for arrest, claiming “a big number of leaders on the virtual space have been detained”.
Meanwhile, police said 40 protesters were arrested in Tehran over “fake posts” which were said to be intentionally attempting to stir up unrest.
Since March, inflation in the nation has soared above 36 per cent, with the currency almost halving in value against the US dollar.
Across the nation, the Government has failed to ensure sufficient water and electricity for its citizens.
Global financial organisations have forecast a recession for the tumultuous economy this year.