From the Liveblog of
Friday, January 16, 2026
UK envoy warns G7 will slap further sanctions on Iran if it doesn’t ‘change course’
France’s UN Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont says that “given the scale and brutality of the repression” against protesters, the international community must denounce the violence.
He reiterates France’s call for the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained and suspension of the death penalty and calls for the rapid convening of a special session of the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to address the situation in Iran and investigate rights violations.
Britain’s Deputy Ambassador Archibald Young condemns Iran’s actions “in the strongest possible terms” and pays tribute “to the courage of the Iranian people, particularly Iranian women.”
The United Kingdom has told Iran’s foreign minister that “Iran must urgently change course” and respect the fundamental rights of Iranians, “including the right to protest without fear of violence or repression.”
If it doesn’t, Young says the Group of Seven major industrialized nations, including the UK, has made clear that it will impose additional sanctions.
“The world is watching,” he says.
The Times of Israel Community.