THOUSANDS of demonstrators from across the UK, including Scotland, are expected to gather in London demanding an end to the clerical regime in Iran.

It comes as tensions remain high between the UK and Iran following the seizure of a loaded Iranian tanker off Gibraltar and the retaliatory seizure of a British-flagged tanker in Omani waters by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC).

The rally has been organised by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). Hossein Abedini, of its London office, said: “Anglo-Iranians will call for imposition of comprehensive sanctions against the clerical regime, and the inclusion of the IRGC and the mullahs’ Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) in the terror list and also recognising the rights of Iranians to overthrow the regime.”

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He said protesters will express support for surge in the activities of the resistance units of the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK) inside of Iran and the 10-point plan of Maryam Rajavi, the NCRI’s president-elect.

“The demonstration in London is the fifth major protest of the Iranian resistance in recent weeks in support of protests and strikes in Iran by the Iranian people for regime change.

“In recent weeks tens of thousands of Iranians have taken part in protests in Stockholm, Berlin, Washington and Brussels with the same objectives.

“These protests are taking place when the clerical regime is faced with continuous social protests, a crumbling economy that is falling apart due to rampant corruption, embezzlement and the mullahs’ destructive policies and at a time when the clerical regime can no longer count on the appeasement policy, in particular by the US, to save it.”

Dowlat Nowrouzi, the NCRI’s representative in the UK, added: “By commandeering oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and international waters the Iranian regime is blackmailing the international community with the aim of forcing it into retreat as well as boosting the morale of its increasingly demoralised forces.

“These developments reaffirm the veracity of the Iranian Resistance’s assessment that so long as this regime is in power belligerence and crisis will continue in the region.”