Robert Jenrick Under Fire For Calling Miliband An 'Idiot' Over Meeting With Iran

Robert Jenrick has been slammed after he called Ed Miliband an “idiot” for meeting with a senior Iranian politician.

The foreign secretary met his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, last month at the UN General Assembly in New York – a standard diplomatic process – and they posed for a photo together. 

A government readout later revealed Miliband had told Araghchi that Britain will not “tolerate intimidation, threats or hostile activity on UK soil”.

The two also discussed the US’s ongoing war in the Middle East.

Prime minister Andy Burnham yesterday told broadcasters there is a “strong indication that Iran played a part” in the alleged terror plot near RAF Fairford on Sunday.

Jenrick, Reform UK’s Treasury spokesperson, then posted a photo of Miliband and Araghchi on X, with the caption: “This aged well. We are governed by idiots.”

It was not long before the Reform MP was called out for misrepresenting the meeting – especially as the US also met the Iranians for three hours at the same UN General Assembly.

But Jenrick doubled down after the backlash, writing on social media: “On reflection my language wasn’t quite right. Ed Miliband isn’t an idiot.

“He knows full well how despicable the Iranian regime is. He knows the Iranians try and kill Brits around the world.

“He knows they fund radical Islamist preachers to sow discord in our country.

“He knows they are plotting terror attacks on our soil. So he isn’t just a useful idiot to Tehran.

“He is actively undermining British interests. Which is far, far worse.”

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch also criticised Miliband for posing with his Iranian counterpart.

She told the PA news agency: “I’m particularly concerned because just a few days ago, our foreign secretary was shaking hands with the Iranian foreign minister.”

Miliband had defended the photo on Monday, before Burnham revealed there may have been Iranian involvement in the alleged terror plot at RAF Fairford.

He told POLITICO: “I was following the practice of previous foreign secretaries – David Lammy, Yvette Cooper, David Cameron.” 

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