UK foreign secretary under fire over handshake with Iranian foreign minister

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British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has come under fire after he was photographed shaking hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

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According to GB News on Friday, Miliband met Araghchi on Thursday as the two discussed the conflict in the Middle East, the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz and threats linked to Iran on British soil.

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The meeting prompted criticism from Shadow Foreign Office Secretary Tom Tugendhat, who described the encounter as “legitimising a regime that has often tried to harm our people.”

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He said: “The Iranian regime has done nothing to justify any senior British minister meeting their envoys.

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“They are murdering protesters, threatening our allies and arming terror groups, including the Houthis. As well as threatening communities in the UK. Shaking hands gives them a credibility they have failed to achieve through violence.

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“This is just grandstanding. Iran’s civilian government isn’t even in charge. Today, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is running the country.

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“Our foreign policy should be about protecting Britain’s interests, not legitimising a regime that has often tried to harm our people, fund terror groups, and destroy the freedoms that keep us safe.

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“Our government fundamentally misunderstands the challenges we face, using old tactics to fight new threats. Our enemies are organising, so we need to show strength and unity with our allies.”

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Shadow Foreign Office minister Alicia Kearns also criticised the meeting in a post on X.

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She said: “How dare Miliband shake Araghchi’s hand. He owes Parliament, British Jews, and the Foreman family an explanation and an apology.

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“A propaganda win for Tehran, that’s what Miliband has given Iran. This is not an ally who’s misbehaving, so you make a stern face while shaking their hand.”

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However, the UK Foreign Office said Miliband used the meeting to warn Araghchi that Britain would not tolerate intimidation, threats or hostile activity on British soil from groups linked to Iran.

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The Foreign Office said the discussions also covered the war in the Middle East and the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

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The meeting came as world leaders and senior officials gathered in New York for the 81st UN General Assembly.

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