TEHRAN – The Iranian Foreign Ministry has summoned British charge d’affaires Jane Marriott to protest British Foreign Secretary William Hague’s “unfounded” remarks claiming Iran is helping Syria to put down anti-government protests.

“These remarks are completely unfounded and based on a series of lies,” the Foreign Ministry told the British diplomat.
According to UPI, Hague told Britain’s Parliament this week Tehran was helping suppress anti-government protests in Syria. He also claimed that London had “credible information” Iranian government had provided paramilitary training to Syrian security forces.
“The British government is not qualified to make such remarks about other countries because of its interventionist measures and its destructive role in the regional developments, especially training certain countries’ military forces to suppress people,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated.
Iran also denounced the British officials’ interfering remarks and criticized London for adopting a double-standard approach toward developments in the Middle East and North Africa.
Charge d’affaires Marriott said she would convey Iran’s “strong protest” to British officials.
Iran has been supporting pro-democracy protests in the Middle East and North Africa; however, Tehran says the United States and the Zionist regime have provoked unrest in Syria to derail the popular movements from the right path and turn the tide of events in their own favor.
Iran also says it supports reforms pledged by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.