FOREIGN Secretary Ed Miliband sparked fury yesterday by shaking the “blood-stained” hand of Iran’s top diplomat.
Jewish groups and exiled Iranians blasted the staged move as Mr Miliband met smiling Abbas Araghchi.
Iran’s foreign minister has been a vocal cheerleader for the regime — believed to have slaughtered 30,000 anti-government demonstrators this year.
Vahid Beheshti, founder of anti-regime campaign group Iran Front, said: “Ed Miliband shaking hands with Abbas Araghchi is a deeply shameful and disturbing spectacle.
“His blood-stained hands should never have been met with the diplomatic warmth of a British handshake.
“Such gestures send a devastating message to the Iranian people.”
In stark contrast, Mr Miliband was reported to have snubbed Israeli officials during his visit to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Shadow Foreign Office minister Alicia Kearns described the meeting as a “propaganda win for the Iranians”.
She said: “How dare Miliband shake Araghchi’s hand.
“This is the regime behind repeated attacks on our Jewish communities since 2025, attempted assassinations on our soil, cyber-attacks on our nation, that murders women for raising their voices and their heads.”
A Foreign Office spokesman said Mr Miliband “reiterated the UK’s unwavering resolve to combat threats from Iranian-linked groups on UK soil, including attacks on the British Jewish community”.