Ambassador called in over Iranian supreme leader's warning that Britain is the most evil of foreign powers

This article is more than 11 years old

This article is more than 11 years old

Iran's ambassador to London was summoned to the Foreign Office this morning after the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, singled out Britain as Iran's foremost enemy. In his speech during Friday prayers, Khamenei played on the historic suspicions many Iranians have of Britain by hinting at its involvement in the demonstrations and describing it as "the most evil" of foreign powers.

He held up the Westminster MPs expenses scandal as a prime example of the corruption which he said was rife in many western countries.

Then he unleashed a thunderbolt – a warning not to be wooed by foreign enemies.

Western countries were "hungry wolves ambushing us and removing the diplomatic cover from their faces. Do not neglect these people," he warned.

"The outstanding diplomats of some western countries who have talked to us with diplomatic courtesy up to now, have, during the past few days, taken the masquerade away from their faces and are showing their true image.

"They are showing their true enmity towards the Iranian Islamic state and the most evil of them is the British government."

The mention of Britain triggered chants of "Marg bar Ingles" (Death to Britain) from the ranks of worshippers.

Brown intensified his criticism of Iran's handling of the election dispute today.

"We are with others, including the whole of the European Union unanimously today, in condemning the use of violence, in condemning media suppression," he told a news conference after a European Union summit in Brussels.

"It is for Iran now to show the world that the elections have been fair … that the repression and the brutality that we have seen in these last few days is not something that is going to be repeated," he said.

"We want Iran to be part of the international community and not to be isolated. But it is for Iran to prove … that they can respect these basic rights."

In playing the British card, Khamenei was appealing to traditional resentment of interference in Iran's affairs by Britain at the peak of its imperial power, while also tarring the demonstrators by association with a foreign power.

He took aim at other foreign elements, namely the "Zionist-controlled" western media and the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton. Without naming her, he contrasted her comments about human rights in Iran with the FBI raid on the Davidian cult headquarters in Waco, Texas, in 1993 that left 75 dead. The incident occurred in the early months of Bill Clinton's presidency.