Britain’s Chief Rabbi, Rav Ephraim Mirvis, has called on the UK government to expel Iran’s ambassador following controversial messages linked to the Iranian diplomatic mission that he says amounted to a call for martyrdom.

The demand comes after reports that a message associated with Iran’s embassy encouraged British-Iranians to register for a program described as “martyrdom,” prompting a police review of the content.

Rav Mirvis said the messaging, which urged those “loyal to Iran” to “sacrifice themselves for the homeland,” was effectively incitement.

He urged British officials to follow the lead of countries such as Australia and Lebanon, which have already expelled Iranian representatives, and to take decisive action in response to the message, now under investigation.

One post, written in Persian and circulated on the social media platform Telegram, stated: “Let us all give our bodies to be slaughtered, because this is better than giving our country to the enemy,” and directed readers to a website where they could register.

Iran’s ambassador, Seyed Ali Mousavi, was summoned to the Foreign Office by Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer following the reports. London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed it is reviewing the content of the message.

Despite that, Rav Mirvis pressed for stronger action, calling for the envoy’s removal. Speaking on BBC Radio 4, he said: “We are wondering how it can be that on Tuesday, just three days ago, the Iranian embassy here in the UK called on Iranians in Britain to ‘be loyal to your country,’ to go out and even risk your lives in order to act for Iran. This is effectively a call for martyrdom”.

He linked the message to broader security concerns, adding: “The day after that, we saw someone trying to stab to death as many people as possible simply because they were Jewish in Golders Green”. He questioned why the UK had not followed other nations in expelling the ambassador.

“How is it that in Australia, the Iranian ambassador was expelled, that in Lebanon the Iranian ambassador was expelled, why is the Iranian ambassador still here?”

The chief rabbi also warned of what he described as “terror activity backed by Iran” and criticized delays in formally designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization—a step supported by both Labour and Conservative lawmakers but not yet implemented.

“Why is there not a more serious examination of the threat not only to Jews, but also the threat from Iran within our society and to society as a whole?” he said. “And we must treat the situation with far greater seriousness right now”.

Responding to the remarks, minister Alex Davies-Jones said it remains important to maintain diplomatic relations with Iran. “It is important that we get this right, that we keep channels open, that we keep diplomatic channels open with the Iranian ambassador, particularly at a time when war is taking place in Iran,” she said.

She described the Telegram messages as “abhorrent” and added that the Foreign Office had summoned the ambassador “to discuss these remarks, to see what further action can be taken in cooperation.”

Rav Mirvis’s comments follow similar remarks from Nigel Farage, leader of a right-wing party in the UK and a leading figure in opinion polls, who told the Jewish Chronicle that a government under his leadership would expel Iran’s ambassador.

A spokesperson for the Iranian Embassy in London defended the messaging, stating: “Iranians around the world have always cared deeply about their homeland and about defending its territorial integrity, and they always will. The ‘Jan Fada’ platform is intended for all Iranians who wish to support and defend their country, and it does not promote any form of hostility.”

{Matzav.com}