Expel Islamic Republic of Iran diplomats, withdraw recognition of the regime, and recognise a legitimate Iranian opposition leadership

We call on the UK Government to immediately expel all diplomatic representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran from the United Kingdom, to withdraw recognition of the Islamic Republic as the legitimate government representing the Iranian people, and to formally acknowledge a legitimate Iranian opposition leadership reflecting the will of the Iranian population.

For decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has committed widespread and systematic human rights violations, including the killing of peaceful protesters, mass arbitrary arrests, torture, executions, and the suppression of freedom of expression, association, and belief. During periods of nationwide protest, the regime has repeatedly imposed near-total internet and communications blackouts, preventing the flow of information, obstructing accountability, and concealing acts of violence against civilians.

During the most recent prolonged communications blackout, credible reporting from multiple independent Iranian and international sources, including medical, eyewitness, and diaspora networks, indicates that more than 30,000 Iranian protesters may have been killed while the outside world was deliberately cut off. While precise verification is made difficult by state censorship and repression, the pattern is consistent with previous blackouts that coincided with the deadliest phases of state violence against civilians. Such actions constitute collective punishment and grave violations of international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is legally bound.

The Iranian people have made clear, through sustained and nationwide protests, that the Islamic Republic does not represent their will or consent. Continuing to recognise and host representatives of this regime lends legitimacy to a government that governs through fear and violence, undermining the United Kingdom’s stated commitment to human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

At the same time, millions of Iranians—inside Iran and across the global diaspora—have publicly expressed support for Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi as the most credible and unifying figure of the Iranian democratic opposition, and as a potential leader for a transitional period toward a secular, democratic system chosen freely by the Iranian people. His publicly stated platform emphasises national unity, peaceful transition, territorial integrity, and a future Iran governed by the rule of law and equal rights.

There is also serious concern that Islamic Republic diplomatic missions abroad do not function solely as diplomatic entities, but operate as extensions of a hostile state apparatus involved in intimidation, surveillance, and pressure against Iranian dissidents and diaspora communities, including within the United Kingdom.

We therefore urge the UK Government to:

• Expel all diplomats and representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran from the United Kingdom.
  Withdraw formal recognition of the Islamic Republic as the legitimate representative of the Iranian people.
• Publicly engage with and acknowledge a legitimate Iranian opposition leadership, including Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, as a representative voice of the Iranian people and a potential leader of a transitional process.
• Support the Iranian people’s right to self-determination, democratic governance, and a peaceful transition free from repression.
• Coordinate with international partners to apply sustained diplomatic and political pressure on the Islamic Republic for its ongoing violations of international law and human rights.

The United Kingdom must stand clearly and decisively on the side of the Iranian people, not with a regime that has repeatedly demonstrated contempt for human life, international norms, and fundamental human dignity.