A group of 30 countries, including Spain, has criticized this Monday the "resort of Iran to violent attacks and other hybrid activities" directed against their interests, emphasizing the accusations made by the United Kingdom against the Iranian authorities following the incident recorded at the end of September at its military base in Fairford.
In a joint statement issued by "Downing Street," the signing countries --including the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, New Zealand, France, and Germany-- "condemn in the strongest terms Iran's resort to violent attacks, including acts of conspiracy for lethal purposes, arson, sabotage, cyberattacks, and other hybrid activities" against them.
Although the 30 States have not directly pointed to Tehran as responsible for the incident in Fairford, they do "acknowledge" the accusations made by the British authorities, who assert that the episode "demonstrates the continued willingness of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to carry out hostile activities beyond its borders through clandestine networks and intermediary actors."
That same Monday, the Government of Andy Burnham announced the imposition of sanctions on two senior Iranian officials and has summoned the Iranian ambassador to the country for what it has termed a "terrorist plot."
"This comes shortly after the recent campaign of attacks across Europe directed against Jewish communities, Iranian journalists, and U.S. interests, claimed by Harakat Ashab al Yamin al Islamiya (HAYI)," they noted, referring to an armed group whose name in Spanish is Movimiento Islámico de los Compañeros de los Bien Guiados and which last April claimed responsibility for the attack on a synagogue in north London.
"Any attempt by Iran to threaten, silence, intimidate, harass, harm, or coerce individuals in our territories through intermediaries or by any other means is unacceptable. Anyone carrying out hostile activities on behalf of Iran, or any other State, must know that we will take measures to identify, investigate, dismantle, and prosecute these acts," the signatories stated, closing the text by reaffirming their unity and determination with "the safeguarding" of their sovereignty and the protection of their communities.