Mick Hartley

From the department of chutzpah:

Criticised internationally for the brutal crackdown on human rights protesters during the so-called 'Green Revolution' a few years ago, the Iranians have issued a stark warning to authorities in the UK.

Foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast urged British police to exercise restraint against "the protesters", according to the Fars news agency.

Mr Mehman-Parast called on the British government to start dialogue with rioters and listen to their demands in order to calm the situation.

That'd make an interesting dialogue. One store to loot per week in return for peace and quiet the rest of the time, perhaps? 

More here:

Deputy Head of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Hossein Ebrahimi also told Fars news that he had requested from the British government to allow an Iranian human rights delegation to visit the country, and "study human rights violations."

Ebrahimi requested the government in UK "avoid making unreal excuses" in regards to their requests.

Ahmedinejad, of course, can't resist weighing in:

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday urged the U.N. Security Council to take action over the rioting in Britain, arguing it was hypocritical in its reaction to such events.

Ahmadinejad, whose government is under international sanction for its controversial nuclear program and has been condemned by the Western countries such as Britain for its handling of protests and dissent, also called on British officials to listen to the demands of their people.

"The U.N. is silent. Human rights bodies are silent," Ahmadinejad said on state radio following a Cabinet meeting. "If one percent of this happens in countries that oppose the West, they scream until they are hoarse."

"Why is the Security Council silent?" he said, also questioning its willingness to take action directed at one of its five veto-wielding permanent members.