Iran's Gharibabadi slams France and UK of choosing to support Israel

Iran has sharply criticized Western nations, particularly France and the United Kingdom, accusing them of complicity in alleged Israeli actions in Palestine. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that continued arms supplies and assistance to Israel amount to participation in its alleged crimes.

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London and Paris should not hide behind the phrase 'expressing concern' from this situation.

Gharibabadi, posting on X, dismissed calls by former British and French diplomats for their governments to "uphold international law in Palestine." He argued that "London and Paris should not hide behind the phrase 'expressing concern' from this situation." He asserted that "Continuing to send weapons and providing any kind of support to the regime is a deliberate choice for collaboration and participation in the commission of crimes by the Zionist regime."

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Continuing to send weapons and providing any kind of support to the regime is a deliberate choice for collaboration and participation in the commission of crimes by the Zionist regime.

His remarks followed an open letter from over a hundred seasoned British and French diplomats. These former diplomats warned their governments that Israel's policies were leading toward "ethnic cleansing" and "the erasure of Palestine." They urged concrete actions, including halting arms transfers, banning trade with settlements, and implementing decisions from the Hague courts.

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act together to uphold international law in Palestine

The diplomats' letter, published in French newspaper Le Monde, called on France and the UK to "act together to uphold international law in Palestine" and advocate for "equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians." Signatories included prominent figures like former British ambassadors to the UN, Jeremy Greenstock and Emyr Jones Parry, and former French Middle East directors Yves Aubin de la Messuziere and Denis Bauchard. The letter specifically cited Israeli settlement expansion, house demolitions, and settler violence in the West Bank as evidence of ethnic cleansing, adding that "The world no longer sees Israel as a genuine democracy."

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ethnic cleansing