A London-based media organisation, which the Iranian regime has declared a legitimate military target, has called on the Labour Government to stop “dragging its feet” and address the threat of the Islamic Republic.
Iran International, founded in 2017, provides uncensored news and current affairs for an Iranian audience and has quickly become a target of the Mullahs’ wrath.
In 2022, the network was branded a “terrorist organisation” by Iran after it extensively covered nationwide anti-government protests.
In 2023, the outlet was forced to leave its offices in Chiswick Business Park following “a significant escalation in state-backed threats from Iran and advice from the Metropolitan Police”.
A year later, Iran International journalist Pouria Zeraati was stabbed on the streets of London.
Three individuals fled the country after the incident, although no direct link to Tehran has been confirmed. Yesterday, GB News revealed that the Iranian armed forces, in a state TV announcement, had accused the network of “waging psychological warfare against the Iranian people” through its use of satellites and media infrastructure abroad.
A spokesman for Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the combat command of the regime’s Armed Forces, warned “certain institutions and countries” supporting Iran International were now part of its “target bank”.
“We don’t feel intimidated,” Iran International spokesman Adam Baillie declared.
However, he added: “I, like all my colleagues, am concerned about our safety.”
A London-based media organisation threatened with bombing by Iran had bid the Government to take action: ‘Stop dragging your feet!’
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While threats like those had become “part and parcel” of providing uncensored information about Iran to the world, Mr Baillie admitted he had grown frustrated at the lack of action in response.
“It is absolutely outrageous, and it makes me angry,” he told The People’s Channel.
“I feel angry about the fact that a foreign power can threaten my colleagues and me on British soil.”
He expressed disappointment over the “certain reluctance” in some quarters to recognise the threat posed by the Islamic Republic.
Iran International, founded in 2017, provides uncensored news and current affairs for an Iranian audience and has quickly become a target of the Mullahs’ wrath
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“I think the Government should always come down very strongly in condemning such threats,” Mr Baille stressed, adding that Whitehall “should not drag its feet”.
“They should take action,” he insisted, drawing on the recommendations of the Walney Report.
The Walney report, led by independent peer John Woodcock, warns that Iran has established a network of more than 30 UK-based organisations to project influence and promote ideology aligned with the regime and intimidate dissidents.
It concluded that the UK had been too slow, cautious and ineffective in dealing with the threat due to “systemic delays”.
‘I feel angry about the fact that a foreign power can threaten my colleagues and me on British soil,’ Iran International spokesman Adam Baillie said
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The report also suggests there has been a reluctance to act decisively, in part due to sensitivities around accusations of racism or Islamophobia, which has allowed Iranian-linked networks to operate with insufficient scrutiny.
Overall, it warns that Britain has failed to keep pace with the scale of the threat and calls for new legal powers to support a more assertive response.
Even so, Mr Baillie praised the support Iran International has received so far, hailing counter-terrorism police as “incredibly supportive”.
He revealed that their old offices had been “turned into a mini fortress,” with armed response vehicles on standby and checkpoints set up for deliveries.
The network has long been to target of the Islamic regime
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GETTYHowever, even that was not enough, with the police unable to “guarantee the safety of the rest of the business park”.
Since then, the work done to keep Mr Baillie and his colleagues safe from police has been “amazing”.
However, the Iran International spokesman issued a warning that the Iranian regime was continuing to lash out now that its “back was against the wall”.
“Iranian security apparatus’ threats against us remain active,” he added. “The worse it gets for the regime, the worse it gets for us as one of their designated prime targets.”