Iran joins the world’s pariah states on Coronation blacklist

THE Iranian leadership has not been invited to the Coronation, marking a deterioration in relations since the late Queen’s funeral.

Iran joins Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Syria and Venezuela whose leaders are not invited to Saturday’s ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

Tehran’s ambassador was invited to attend the late Queen’s funeral last September but, since then, the UK’S complex relationship with the country has been defined by issues surrounding its nuclear ambitions, the funding of Middle Eastern terrorist organisations and hostage-taking of dual British nationals.

The Government has issued sanctions against the Iranian regime for its crackdown on anti-government protesters who threatened its authority.

The protests, which followed the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of the “morality police” after she was arrested for “incorrectly” wearing a mandatory headscarf, led to mass imprisonment, torture and executions of protesters that were viewed as abhorrent by the international community.

British citizen, Alireza Akbari, a former defence minister in Iran, was hanged in January after being accused of spying for Britain.

Iran has also been sending drones to help the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Coronation protocol sees invitations issued to every head of state with whom the UK enjoys full diplomatic relations, albeit with some exceptions.

North Korea and Nicaragua have been invited – as they were to the funeral last year – with heads of mission offered the chance to attend.

James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, is expected to meet Han Zheng, China’s vice president, while he is in London for the occasion and has indicated that he will raise issues including Hong Kong and human rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang province.

Senior Tories, including former leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, have strongly criticised the decision to invite him. Polly Truscott, the foreign policy adviser at Amnesty International UK, said: “If not inviting certain countries is an expression of the UK’S diplomatic disapproval, then you have to ask: why is China’s Han Zheng attending?

“The invitation to Han Zheng sends the dangerous message that the UK Government is prepared to ignore China’s appalling human rights record.”