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Prince Harry has been slammed for “giving ammunition” to Iran after he revealed his Taliban kill count. The 38-year-old was even called a “stupid boy” and told to “take responsibility” after Tehran used his confession to defend its hanging of a British-Iranian citizen.
Alireza Akbari, 61, was executed over the weekend amid allegations he was working as a spy.
Iran defended the hanging by claiming Britain was “in no position to preach” on human rights following the Duke of Sussex’s admission in ‘Spare’.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had described Mr Akbari’s hanging as a “callous and cowardly act, carried out by a barbaric regime”.
However, Iran’s Foreign Ministry replied: “The British regime, whose Royal Family member sees the killing of 25 people innocent people as the removal of chess pieces and has no regrets over the issue, and those who turn a blind eye to a war crime, are in no position to preach to others on human rights.”
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Just days before his death Mr Akbari is thought to have been severely beaten in jail before he gave what appeared to be forced confessions.
In an audio message broadcast on the BBC’s Persian service he said he was tortured to make him admit to crimes he did not commit.
Following Tehran’s response to Britain’s condemnation, leading figures in the Armed Forces took aim at Prince Harry.
Former First Sea Lord Admiral Lord West told The Sun:: “Harry was a stupid boy saying what he said but there is no equivalence with what Iran is doing.”
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“While all decent people will reject Iran’s lies, many of their supporters will be strengthened by the ayatollahs’ exploitation of the duke’s ill-judged comments.”
Former Royal Navy commander Rear Admiral Chris Parry claimed: “The Iranians are using him for propaganda purposes.
“Despite the clumsy words by Prince Harry, it is highly duplicitous to claim equivalence between the lawful killing of combatants in warfare and a show-trial and political murder by a dictatorial regime.”
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“They don’t then seek to exploit that for their financial gain.”
Express.co.uk has approached the Duke of Sussex for comment.
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