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Category: Press Releases

  • PRESS RELEASE : Single case of atypical BSE confirmed on a farm in Essex [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Single case of atypical BSE confirmed on a farm in Essex [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 20 May 2025.

    A single case of atypical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) has been confirmed on a farm in Essex, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) confirmed today (Tuesday 20 May).

    The animal showed some clinical signs of BSE and was humanely culled on farm and tested as part of Defra’s routine surveillance programme. There is no risk to public health or food safety from this case and the animal, as fallen stock, was not destined to enter the food chain.

    Atypical BSE is a naturally occurring, non-contagious disease in cattle which occurs spontaneously. It is distinct from classical BSE which is linked to contaminated feed.

    Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said:

    “A single case of atypical BSE has been confirmed on a farm in Essex. The animal died on farm and was tested as part of our strict routine controls and surveillance regime.

    “Atypical BSE is distinct from classical BSE and is a spontaneously and sporadically occurring, non-contagious disease which is believed to occur at a very low level in all cattle populations. This is proof that our surveillance system for detecting and containing this type of disease is working.”

    Dr James Cooper, Deputy Director of Food Policy at the Food Standards Agency said:

    “There is no food safety risk. There are strict controls in place to protect consumers from the risk of BSE, including controls on animal feed, and removal of the parts of cattle most likely to carry BSE infectivity.

    “Consumers can be reassured that these important protection measures remain in place and that Food Standards Agency Official Veterinarians and Meat Hygiene Inspectors working in all abattoirs in England will continue to ensure that the safety of consumers remains the top priority.”

    Great Britain’s overall risk status for BSE remains at ‘controlled’ and there is no risk to food safety or public health.

    The World Organisation for Animal Health and trading partners have been informed of the case. This does not affect the UK’s ability to export beef to other countries.

    BSE is a notifiable animal disease. If you suspect it, you must report it immediately by calling the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301. In Wales, contact 0300 303 8268. In Scotland, contact your local Field Services Office. Failure to do so is an offence. This applies to pet and small holder animals as well as commercial cattle.

    ENDS

    Notes to editors:

    • Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy is a chronic degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of cattle. It is not contagious, so it does not spread from animal to animal or between holdings.
    • Classical BSE was first diagnosed in the United Kingdom in 1986.
    • Atypical BSE is distinct from classical BSE and occurs at a very low level in all cattle populations. It is reported occasionally in countries with active BSE surveillance programmes.
    • The last case of atypical BSE in the UK was in December 2024 in Scotland. There has been a total of 4 cases since 2015 (including this latest case).
    • [The case was identified as a result of strict control measures we have in place. It was not destined for the human food chain and the Food Standards Agency have confirmed there is no risk to human health as a result of this isolated case.]
  • PRESS RELEASE : Director, Carl Barnes, disqualified for 11 years after dishonestly securing Covid loan for Lincoln plumbing and heating company [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Director, Carl Barnes, disqualified for 11 years after dishonestly securing Covid loan for Lincoln plumbing and heating company [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Insolvency Service on 20 May 2025.

    Carl Barnes, the director of Central Plumbing & Heating Lincoln Ltd, made false statements about the company’s turnover to secure a Bounce Back loan .

    • Carl Barnes applied for a Bounce Back loan of £47,500 for Central Plumbing & Heating Lincoln Ltd.
    • He declared the company had a turnover of £340,000 when in reality it was nothing.
    • Barnes has been banned as a company director for 11 years. The Secretary of State accepted a voluntary disqualification undertaking offered by him.

    The director of a plumbing and heating company has been banned for 11 years after overstating his company’s turnover by hundreds of thousands of pounds to secure a Covid Bounce Back loan.

    Carl Barnes, of Ollerton Road, Retford, was the director of Central Plumbing & Heating Lincoln Ltd, which was incorporated in April 2016.

    The company, based on Wavell Drive in Lincoln, made a small profit in its first year of trading, but dormant accounts were filed by Barnes in the following years.

    In August 2020, the 45-year-old falsely claimed the company had a turnover of £340,000 for 2019, despite the actual turnover being £0.

    He received a Covid Bounce Back loan for the company of £47,500 which it was not entitled to.

    Barnes was disqualified as a director for 11 years on 17 April 2025, with the ban beginning on 8 May 2025.

    Kevin Read, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:

    Carl Barnes exploited the Bounce Back Loan Scheme by providing false information about his company’s turnover.

    His dishonesty has resulted in this significant director disqualification, which prevents him from forming or managing a company for more than a decade.

    The Insolvency Service will continue to investigate those who abused this scheme – designed to help small businesses during the pandemic – and bring them to justice.

    Central Plumbing & Heating Lincoln Ltd went into liquidation in October 2022.

    The disqualification order prevents Barnes from being involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.

    Further information

    • Carl Philip Barnes is of Ollerton Road, Retford, Nottinghamshire. His date of birth is 14 June 1979.
  • PRESS RELEASE : Interim Chair appointed to the Legal Services Board Wales [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Interim Chair appointed to the Legal Services Board Wales [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 20 May 2025.

    The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of Catherine Brown as Interim Chair of the Legal Services Board Wales.

    Ms Brown is appointed until 31 December 2025.

    The appointment of the LSB Chair is made by the Lord Chancellor, under the Legal Services Act 2007, after consulting the Lady Chief Justice.

    The appointment is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Ministers consulted the Commissioner before making the appointment. This will ensure that the LSB has a Chair while a recruitment exercise is run.

    Biography

    Catherine Brown is an experienced non-executive board member, chair, and chief executive who has worked in the private and public sectors. Ms Brown was previously CEO of the Food Standards Agency and is now serving as the first Chair of the Enforcement Conduct Board; a new independent oversight body for the civil enforcement sector. Ms Brown was vice chair of the Wellcome Trust advisory group on increasing diversity and inclusion in science and served as an Equal Opportunities Commissioner. She is currently chair of the Internet Watch Foundation; a charity that exists to prevent the sharing of child sexual abuse material on the internet.

    Ms Brown has been a member of the Board of the LSB since 2019 and has been Chair of the LSB’s Audit and Risk Assurance Committee and then Senior Independent Director prior to her appointment as Interim Chair.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK announces major sanctions in support of Ukraine [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK announces major sanctions in support of Ukraine [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 May 2025.

    As President Putin ruthlessly intensifies his strikes against innocent Ukrainians, the UK is ramping up pressure with raft of 100 new sanctions.

    • UK announces wide-ranging sanctions on Russia as Putin launches his biggest ever drone attack against Ukraine
    • 100 sanctions targets across Russian military, energy, financial sectors and those conducting Putin’s information war against Ukraine
    • UK and partners are also working to tighten the Oil Price Cap, further restricting critical oil revenues for Putin’s war machine

    As President Putin ruthlessly intensifies his strikes against innocent Ukrainians, the UK is ramping up pressure with raft of 100 new sanctions.

    The latest sanctions targets include entities supporting Russia’s military machine, energy exports and information war, as well as financial institutions helping to fund Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

    On Saturday, Russia fired 273 drones at Ukrainian cities, the biggest drone onslaught of the war. A strike on a bus in Sumy killed 9 civilians.

    Putin has so far not put in place the full, unconditional ceasefire that President Trump has called for, and which President Zelenskyy endorsed over 2 months ago.

    The UK’s latest sanctions action comes as the EU prepares to announce its 17th package of sanctions against Russia, in a co-ordinated effort to secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

    Today’s measures sanction the supply chains of deadly Russian weapons systems, including Iskander missiles.  This will protect Ukrainian lives, and our collective security by disrupting Russia’s military machine.

    Putin has repeatedly fired Iskander missiles into crowded civilian areas with a callous disregard for life. He used these weapons during the strike against Sumy on 13 April that killed 34 civilians including children, some of them heading for Palm Sunday services.

    UK and other Western sanctions are having a severe effect on Russia’s economy.  Russian GDP shrank in the first quarter of the year and the non-defence economy has been in recession for some time. Security and defence spending is now over 40% of the federal budget, and Putin has had to raise taxes and slash social spending in order to continue the war.

    Every rouble by which we cut Kremlin revenues diminishes Putin’s ability to sow chaos, division and disorder across the world and protects the British people, increasing security and prosperity at home.

    As the Prime Minister set out at the European Political Community summit on Friday, people in Ukraine and across the world have paid the price for Putin’s aggression and now he must pay the price for avoiding peace.

    Foreign Secretary, David Lammy said:

    Putin’s latest strikes once again show his true colours as a warmonger.

    We urge him to agree a full, unconditional ceasefire right away so there can be talks on a just and lasting peace.

    We have been clear that delaying peace efforts will only redouble our resolve to help Ukraine to defend itself and use our sanctions to restrict Putin’s war machine.

    Today’s sanctions also target 14 more members of the Social Design Agency (SDA), which carries out Kremlin-funded information operations that are designed to undermine sovereignty, democracy, and the rule of law in Ukraine and across the world.

    The UK previously sanctioned the SDA and several of its leaders in 2024.  We are now targeting all levels of the organisation.

    In addition, today’s measures will strike at the heart of Putin’s efforts to get around our sanctions and help block his failing attempts to reconnect to the international economy.

    Today’s action targets 46 financial institutions that help Russian attempts to evade sanctions, as well as the St Petersburg Currency Exchange, and the Russian Deposit Insurance Agency which insures Russian banks. These new sanctions will further isolate the Russian economy and disrupt Russia’s revenue streams.

    Finally, the UK will also sanction 18 more ships in the ‘shadow fleet’ carrying Russians oil, along with the fleet’s enablers. The Prime Minister announced 110 shadow fleet related sanctions ahead of his visit to Kyiv earlier this month.

    Today’s targets include John Michael Ormerod, a British national who procured ships for Russia’s shadow fleet, and 2 Russian captains of shadow fleet tankers. This action imposes a personal cost on those who are supporting Russia’s trade in oil and is another step in the Foreign Secretary’s personal mission to constrain the Kremlin and a crucial part of the Plan for Change to ensure a secure Britain.

    The UK is also working with partners to tighten the Oil Price Cap that limits the price that Russia can charge for its oil if transported using G7 services like insurance and shipping. We are reviewing the $60 crude price level, with a view to lowering the cap closer to the cost of production and hitting Putin where it hurts by striking at his oil revenues.

    Background

    The Full list of today’s targets can be found here

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK and Ukraine hail scientists’ role in the fight for freedom [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK and Ukraine hail scientists’ role in the fight for freedom [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology on 20 May 2025.

    • From healthcare to energy, collaboration with UK researchers is supporting Ukraine’s defence and reconstruction, and the UK’s Plan for Change
    • Academic, business and political leaders gather in London later today to celebrate UK-Ukrainian joint science endeavours – and look ahead to more
    • Science, tech and innovation are a key pillar of UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership: the long-term pact to support long-term security and growth for both our countries

    The critical role that Ukraine’s scientists and researchers are playing in the battle for their country’s freedom, and its hopes for a brighter future, working hand-in-hand with UK colleagues, will be celebrated at an event at the British Academy in London later today (Tuesday 20 May).

    The UK is resolute in its support for Ukraine, as the country defends itself in the face of Russia’s illegal and barbaric invasion. Our backing is cemented by the landmark 100 Year Partnership, unveiled by the Prime Minister and President Zelenskyy in January, of which strong and deep science and technology ties form a key part.

    Joint work by the UK and Ukraine’s researchers is not only supporting Ukraine’s freedom and future, but also unlocking benefits to the UK economy, and more besides, all of which bolsters the Plan for Change. In one joint project, on health, the University of Warwick have worked with Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics to train AI models to quickly and accurately triage shrapnel wounds. And work by Manchester, Aston and Aberystwyth Universities and Ukrainian experts to boost Ukraine’s electricity grid with green energy, is also being applied to help Britain adapt as we get more energy from renewables, and as energy-intensive industries like data centres grow.

    Meanwhile efforts like the UK-Ukraine Techbridge are helping bring innovative new technologies to bear on critical tasks like clearing landmines and unexploded bombs. The TechBridge is also focused on AI, health, cyber security, education, and agritech, and is building opportunities in both countries for trade, upskilling, and investment.

    Much of this important work will be showcased at London’s historic British Academy later, at an event hosted by the UK’s Science Minister and Ukraine’s Deputy Minister for Education and Science, who will be joined by a host of academic, business and research leaders. Lord Vallance will announce an additional £100,000 for the UK-Ukraine Techbridge at the event, as well as £400,000 for trilateral efforts to harness digital technologies to improve government across the UK, Ukraine and Estonia.

    UK Science Minister Lord Vallance said:

    Freedom is an essential ingredient for scientific progress. Without it we are denied the ability to act on the curiosity that sparks so many breakthroughs, or to get the answers that make us think that maybe we have been wrong about the way we have thought about something in the past.

    Science is also international, which means that Ukraine’s inventions and innovations are ones that the UK and the entire world ultimately benefits from, and vice versa. We only stand to gain from working with Ukraine to keep the flame of freedom alive, and it is only natural, that the joint endeavours of our researchers, are critical to those efforts.

    Ukraine’s Minister for Education and Science, Oksen Lisovyi, said

    For Ukraine, science is not only about development — it is also about resistance. Today, our researchers are working side by side with international partners not only to support the country in its most difficult times, but also to lay the foundations for recovery. This collaboration is a mutual investment in freedom, humanity, and the future. We are grateful to the United Kingdom for a partnership built on shared values and trust.

    The UK-Ukraine partnership on science, innovation and technology has already delivered important work, starting with the:

    Since it was launched in 2022, it has helped over 170 Ukrainian experts endangered by the war to relocate to just under 70 UK universities, and continue their work on a temporary basis – as well as funding their research with £22.5 million. The UK Government has also supported the UK-Ukraine Twinning Initiative, which has enabled Ukrainian researchers to keep making progress, despite wartime disruption, by pairing up UK and Ukrainian universities. This has provided remote access to UK facilities and equipment, and avenues for joint funding, including £5 million of Research England grant funding to support new research partnerships.

    We are also harnessing the AI, data science and digital expertise of the UK, Ukraine and Estonia with a view to enhancing digital government and public services through technology and innovation under an initiative on trilateral cooperation.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Joint donor statement on humanitarian aid to Gaza [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Joint donor statement on humanitarian aid to Gaza [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 May 2025.

    Joint statement on behalf of 27 humanitarian partners on aid to Gaza and the proposal for a new aid delivery model.

    Joint statement:

    “Whilst we acknowledge indications of a limited restart of aid, Israel blocked humanitarian aid entering Gaza for over two months. Food, medicines and essential supplies are exhausted. The population faces starvation. Gaza’s people must receive the aid they desperately need.

    “Prior to the aid block, the UN and humanitarian NGOs delivered aid into Gaza, working with great courage, at the risk of their lives and in the face of major access challenges imposed by Israel. These organisations subscribe to upholding humanitarian principles, operating independently, with neutrality, impartiality and humanity. They have the logistical capacity, expertise and operational coverage to deliver assistance across Gaza to those who need it most.

    “Israel’s security cabinet has reportedly approved a new model for delivering aid into Gaza, which the UN and our humanitarian partners cannot support. They are clear that they will not participate in any arrangement that does not fully respect the humanitarian principles. Humanitarian principles matter for every conflict around the world and should be applied consistently in every warzone. The UN has raised concerns that the proposed model cannot deliver aid effectively, at the speed and scale required. It places beneficiaries and aid workers at risk, undermines the role and independence of the UN and our trusted partners, and links humanitarian aid to political and military objectives.  Humanitarian aid should never be politicised, and Palestinian territory must not be reduced nor subjected to any demographic change.

    “As humanitarian donors, we have two straightforward messages for the Government of Israel: allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza immediately and enable the UN and humanitarian organisations to work independently and impartially to save lives, reduce suffering and maintain dignity. We remain committed to meeting the acute needs we see in Gaza. We also reiterate our firm message that Hamas must immediately release all remaining hostages and allow humanitarian assistance to be distributed without interference. It is our firm conviction that an immediate return to a ceasefire and working towards the implementation of a two-state solution are the only way to bring peace and security to Israelis and Palestinians and ensure long-term stability for the whole region.”

    This statement has been signed by:

    • The Foreign Ministers of Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
    • The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, the EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management and the EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean.
  • PRESS RELEASE : UK Trade Envoy Visits Ghana to Deepen Bilateral Economic Relations [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK Trade Envoy Visits Ghana to Deepen Bilateral Economic Relations [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 May 2025.

    This is Bell Ribeiro-Addy’s first official visit to Ghana since her appointment as Trade Envoy in January 2025 to strengthen UK-Ghana economic partnerships.

    The British High Commission Accra is pleased to announce that Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the UK’s Trade Envoy to Ghana, will undertake her first official visit to Ghana from 19 –22 May 2025. The four-day mission will include engagements in Accra and Kumasi, underscoring the UK’s commitment to deepening bilateral trade relations and fostering economic growth.

    Appointed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in January 2025, Ms. Ribeiro-Addy is part of the UK government’s global network of Trade Envoys, working to promote British trade interests in over 70 countries. Her visit to Ghana marks a significant milestone in her role and reflects the UK’s strategic focus on strengthening partnerships across Africa.

    During her visit, Ms. Ribeiro-Addy will meet with a range of high-level stakeholders, including:

    • Hon. Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, Minister of Finance
    • Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry
    • Hon. Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, Deputy Minister of Education
    • Senior government officials, traditional leaders, and academic representatives
    • UK businesses operating in Ghana and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC)

    These discussions will focus on expanding trade and investment opportunities, enhancing economic cooperation, and identifying areas for mutual growth.

    In Kumasi, Ms. Ribeiro-Addy will tour two major UK Export Finance (UKEF)-backed projects: the Kumasi Airport and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital maternity block. These initiatives highlight the UK’s ongoing support for infrastructure development in Ghana’s Ashanti Region.

    She will also host a roundtable with the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, aimed at fostering collaboration on gender-inclusive economic development and leadership.

    Ms. Ribeiro-Addy said:

    I am honoured to represent the UK in Ghana and look forward to engaging with our Ghanaian partners. This visit is an important step in strengthening our trade relations and exploring new avenues for collaboration. I am confident that our discussions will pave the way for a brighter economic future for both our countries.

    British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson, added:

    We are thrilled to welcome Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP to Ghana. Her visit reflects our shared commitment to building stronger international partnerships, promoting global trade, and realising a vision of inclusive prosperity.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Change of UK Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York: Christian Turner [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Change of UK Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York: Christian Turner [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 May 2025.

    Dr Christian Turner CMG has been appointed UK Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York in succession to Dame Barbara Woodward DCMG, OBE.  Dr Turner will take up his appointment at the end of 2025.

    Curriculum Vitae

    Full name:  Christian Philip Hollier Turner

    Year Role
    2023 to present FCDO, Director General Geopolitics & Political Director
    2019 to 2023 Islamabad, British High Commissioner
    2017 to 2019  Prime Minister’s International Affairs Adviser & Deputy National Security Adviser
    2016 to 2017  FCO, Director General MENA & Africa
    2016  No10, Director, London Syria Conference
    2012 to 2016  Nairobi, British High Commissioner
    2009 to 2012  FCO, Director, Middle East & North Africa
    2008 to 2009  FCO, Deputy Director, Middle East & North Africa
    2007 to 2008 Cabinet Office, Deputy Director, MENANA, Overseas & Defence Secretariat
    2007 No10, Private Secretary to Prime Minister
    2002 to 2006 Washington, First Secretary
    1998 to 2002 Cabinet Office Fast Stream including roles in Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, Private Secretary to Minister of State, Secretary to Economic & Domestic Committees of Cabinet
  • PRESS RELEASE : Recruitment consultant, Rico Iheagwara, sentenced after fraudulently using Covid loans for personal purposes [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Recruitment consultant, Rico Iheagwara, sentenced after fraudulently using Covid loans for personal purposes [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Insolvency Service on 19 May 2025.

    Suspended sentence for Bounce Back Loan fraudster.

    • Rico Iheagwara fraudulently applied for two £20,000 Bounce Back Loans during the summer of 2020
    • Iheagwara’s SJR Recruitment Limited company was not trading at the time of the applications
    • SJR Recruitment was placed into liquidation in 2021 with liabilities of more than £67,000

    A recruitment consultant who fraudulently spent Covid support funds for personal purposes has been handed a suspended sentence.

    Rico Iheagwara secured two Bounce Back Loans worth £20,000 each from different banks for his Essex-based SJR Recruitment Limited company when businesses were only entitled to a single loan under the scheme.

    Iheagwara, 36, of River Meads, Stanstead Abbotts, Hertfordshire, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, for fraud when he appeared at St Albans Crown Court on Friday 16 May.

    He was also ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and 15 days of rehabilitation activity.

    David Snasdell, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:

    Rico Iheagwara blatantly abused a taxpayer-backed scheme designed to support genuine small businesses through the pandemic. He knew he was not entitled to support yet continued with his fraudulent applications nonetheless.

    Iheagwara’s business was not trading at the time of his application so he was not entitled to a single penny from the scheme, let alone the £40,000 he fraudulently secured.

    Tackling Covid support scheme abuse remains a key priority for the Insolvency Service and we will not hesitate to prosecute fraudsters such as Iheagwara who stole from the public purse during a national emergency.

    SJR Recruitment was incorporated in January 2017 with Iheagwara as its sole director. The company’s registered office address was on High Road in Loughton.

    Iheagwara was also the sole signatory on both company bank accounts which were opened in May 2020, just one month before his first fraudulent application.

    For both applications, made in June and July 2020, Iheagwara claimed the company’s turnover was £82,000.

    Iheagwara transferred the first £20,000 loan into his personal account on the same day he received the funds. For the second loan, he moved all £20,000 into his personal account the following day.

    None of the £40,000 was used for the economic benefit of his business. Insolvency Service analysis of bank statements suggested that the funds were used for everyday expenses and paid to various family members.

    In interviews, Iheagwara said he spent the funds on rent, paying off personal finance and supporting his children.

    SJR Recruitment went into liquidation in April 2021. No repayments were made on the loans.

    The Insolvency Service is seeking to recover the fraudulently obtained funds under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

    Further information

    • Rico Iheagwara is of River Meads, Stanstead Abbotts, Hertfordshire. His date of birth is 21 August 1988
  • PRESS RELEASE : Summoning of the Iranian Ambassador to the United Kingdom [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Summoning of the Iranian Ambassador to the United Kingdom [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 May 2025.

    The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has today summoned the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Kingdom.

    An FCDO spokesperson said:

    Today, upon instruction from the Foreign Secretary, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Kingdom was summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. His Excellency Seyed Ali Mousavi was summoned in response to three Iranian nationals charged under the National Security Act.

    The UK Government is clear that protecting national security remains our top priority and Iran must be held accountable for its actions.

    The summons follows this weekend’s announcement which stated that three Iranian nationals had been charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service.