Iranian exiles rally in London to demand regime change in Tehran

Thousands of exiled Iranian dissidents rallied in Trafalgar Square in London on Saturday to demand regime change in Tehran, urging new UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to get behind their campaign.

The event organized by the National Council of Resistance of Iran came amid tension between London and Tehran over the seizure of a British oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.

As the rally took place in the British capital, Iran snubbed a diplomatic initiative by Oman to mediate in the tanker dispute, and tried to shift the blame for the stand-off onto other regional countries.

In further evidence that tough US sanctions are crippling the Iranian economy, new figures showed that China’s crude oil imports from Iran sank by almost 60 percent in June compared with a year earlier.

The rally in London was one of a series of protests being held across Europe and in Washington, DC. The Iranian government was one of the most dangerous in the world, operating in one of the most concerning areas, former Conservative MP Brian Binley told Arab News.

 “I promise I will do my best to arrange a meeting with Boris Johnson, in conjunction with my colleagues, and attempt to get a better reaction to the Iranian situation than we’ve had from previous governments,” he said.

Struan Stevenson, coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change, said: “We want regime change, we want to get rid of this evil regime. We’re here underneath the statue of Admiral Nelson. What would Nelson make of a British ship being seized by pirates? He would be turning in his grave.

“So our message today to Boris Johnson is to be tough on this regime as they are spreading terrorism and war across the Middle East and the world.”

Meanwhile Tehran rejected an attempt at mediation by Omani Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi in the dispute over Iran’s illegal seizure of the British tanker.

“Some of the region’s countries have not only removed the possibility of talks because of hasty and arrogant moves and behavior, but have also made managing regional crises a serious challenge,” Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told the Omani diplomat.

Shamkhani also criticized a British plan for a European coalition to escort tankers in the Gulf.

“Security measures for the region must use local capabilities and cooperation between regional countries, and foreign countries’ interference will achieve nothing but increase problems,” he said.