Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the ambassadors of the United Kingdom and Norway on Sunday, 25 September, in reaction to the violent protests that have gripped the country.

According to the ministry, Iran summoned the UK ambassador over the “hostile atmosphere” created by several London-based Farsi news outlets.

Iran argued that the UK-based news agencies were interfering in its internal affairs and violating the country’s sovereignty.

In response to Iran’s criticism, a spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office responded by saying that “the UK is a fierce champion of media freedom and proud member of the Media Freedom Coalition.”

“We condemn the Iranian authorities’ crackdown on protestors, journalists, and internet freedom,” the spokesperson added.

Similarly, IRNA reported that the ministry summoned the Norwegian ambassador over “prejudicial and unrealistic statements” made by Masud Gharahkhani, a Norwegian of Iranian descent, who is the acting president of the Norwegian parliament.

Moreover, on the night of 24 September, a Molotov cocktail was thrown at the wall of the Iranian embassy in Athens.

Greek police reported that two people drove past the facility on a motorcycle and launched the Molotov cocktail toward the building. According to the statement, nobody was injured in the attack.

On the afternoon of 25 September, around 200 people gathered and protested at the famous Syntagma Square in Athens to denounce “the crackdown on protests” following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

The embassies of the Islamic Republic have become targets across Europe.

On 23 September, the government of Iran issued an official complaint against Sweden and Belgium for attacks perpetrated against the Iranian embassies in Stockholm and Brussels.

According to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961), a host country is responsible for the safety of foreign embassies and their staff.

Protests to demand answers and justice for the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini have erupted across several Iranian cities as well as in several countries in the west.

Amini, a Kurdish woman, died in hospital three days after fainting in the public waiting room of a Tehran police station, where the moral security police summoned her for the alleged improper wearing of the hijab, a mandatory item of clothing for women in the Islamic Republic.