UK Reopens Embassy in Tehran

Nearly four years after protesters stormed the British embassy in Iran, triggering outrage in Britain and closure of the embassy, Britain is restoring its diplomatic presence in Tehran. 

UK Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond said he was “delighted” to be in Tehran for the reopening of the embassy. Hammond’s visit to Tehran is the first British ministerial visit in more than a decade.

Iran also reopened its embassy in London today, in a coordinated move reflecting improved relations between the two countries.

“Iran is, and will remain, an important country in a strategically important but volatile region. Maintaining dialogue around the world, even under difficult conditions, is critical,” Hammond said in a speech in Tehran marking the reopening of the embassy.

“Over the coming months, we will work to ensure that the nuclear agreement is a success, including by making sure that is fully implemented by all sides, and through this embassy’s efforts we will support British trade and investment, once sanctions are lifted. That will bring benefit for Britain and the Iranian people,” Hammond said. (CNN, 23 August)

Photo credit: UK Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond arriving at Mehrabad airport in Tehran to preside over the reopening of the British embassy; 23 August 2015 (Darren staples/Reuters)

Britain's Embassy in Tehran to Re-Open

The British embassy in Tehran will reopen this weekend. The embassy was closed four years ago when protesters stormed its building in central Tehran and damaged the property. At the time, Britain also asked Iran to close its embassy in London. The Iranian foreign ministry said today that the Iranian embassy in London will also be reopened this weekend.

Khamenei on Tweeter: Attack on British Embassy in Tehran Was Wrong

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei tweeted today that the attack on the British Embassy in Tehran by a group of radicals last November was wrong. The ayatollah, who has recently started his Twitter account (@khamenei.ir), actually his office tweets for him with thousands of followers and no followings, said this on the episode:

“On that recent subject of the wicked (British) embassy, the emotions of the youths were correct, but their entry was not right.”

Nine months after the attack, which led Britain to the break up its diplomatic relations with Iran, the supreme leader is saying the action was wrong, and saying it through a tweet. Interesting times we live in!

Photo: A snapshot of Khamenei’s Twitter page today. The third entry in the page relates to the subject here and is translated above.  

Iran Confirms Meeting of British-Iran Foreign Ministers in Kabul

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast on Saturday confirmed published reports that Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has recently met his British counterpart William Hague in Afghanistan. The meeting took place on 14 June in Kabul.

“Salehi’s meeting with Hague took place on the sidelines of the Afghanistan’s neighbors conference via [the mediation] of a third country and upon the request of the British side,” Mehmanparast said on Saturday [IRNA, 24 June].

“During the meeting, discussions focused on interest sections [diplomatic representation through third countries] for the two sides as well as regional developments,” Mehmanparast added.

The foreign ministry spokesman also denied the reports that the meeting had taken place at the request of Iran.

Britain Orders Closure of Iranian Embassy in London

Iranian Diplomats in Britain Given 48 Hours to Leave the Country

The British Foreign Secretary William Hague today ordered the immediate closure of the Iranian Embassy in London and gave the Iranian diplomats 48 hours to leave Britain. The move came a day after the British embassy in Tehran came under attack by a mob that ransacked the embassy and another British diplomatic site in Qolhak, in northern Tehran. Britain has closed its embassy in Tehran and evacuated all its diplomatic staff from Iran.

British Embassy Under Attack: New Pictures

Source: Tabnak

Tehran: British Embassy Attacked - UPDATE

Radical "students" stormed British diplomatic sites in Tehran today, bringing down the Union Jack flag, burning an embassy vehicle and throwing documents from windows.

The mob surged past riot police into the British Embassy complex and pelted it with stones and Molotov Cocktail, the Associated Press reported. Demonstrators outside the embassy also burned British flags, chanting “Death to Britain.” The occupiers also tore down picture of Queen Elizabeth II. The police have apparently regained control of the site.

Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported that hundreds of other protesters attacked the British ambassador’s residence in northern Tehran and replaced British flags with the flags of the Islamic Republic.

Yesterday, the Iranian parliament, Majlis, passed a resolution to expel the British ambassador to Tehran and then the members of parliament began chanting “Death to Britain.” The action could have been interpreted by the mob today as a green light to attack the British compounds with impunity.

The semiofficial Mehr news agency said most of the embassy staff had left the compound before the mobs entered, but it also said those who occupied the area had taken six staff as hostages. The report by Mehr has now been taken off its website.

The mob called for the closure of the embassy calling it a “spy den” — the same phrase used after another mob stormed the US embassy in Tehran in 1980 and held 52 hostages for 444 days.

UPDATE: Fars News Agency has confirmed earlier reports that the occupiers of the British compound in north Tehran, Bagh-e Qolhak, had taken six employees of the British embassy hostage. The authorities have freed the hostages and handed them over to the British embassy staff. Fars also reports that the police has now cleared the compound as well as the embassy building in the center of Tehran of all the occupiers.

Pro-Gaza Protestors Storm British Compound

More than 70 protestors, believed to be affiliated with the Basiji forces of IRGC, stormed a British Embassy compound in Qolhak, in northern Tehran. The public opinion in Iran, like in many Middle Eastern countries, has solidly turned against Israel and the West in the aftermath of Israeli bombardment of Gaza and the many casualties it has caused.

The protestors have brought down the British flag and have raised the Palestinian flag inside the compound.

The Qolhak compound has in the past been used as the summer residence of the British Ambassador in Tehran. The large property, situated in one of choice locations in the Iranian capital, has been the center of an ownership controversy with the UK. Iranians believe that the British lease on the property has been expired and it needs to be handed back to Iran. Britain considers the property as an integral part of its embassy, protected by international law.

The occupation of the compound is not all that surprising, given the Iranian claim. What is surprising is the pretext of helping the Palestinian cause in occupying the compound. The Iranian public opinion could have much easier accepted the move if it was cast in Iran vs. Britain struggle. Tying the move to the developments in Gaza would be hard to comprehend and might backfire and help the British.

Notwithstanding the move, the Iranians are real angry at the events in Gaza. Even mainstream journalists are using profanities in referring to Israel, and the West, in their reporting of the bombardments. The West is rapidly loosing the public opinion and the media war regarding Gaza.

UPDATE: A media officer at the British embassy in Tehran confirmed reports that diplomatic police had driven the demonstrators out of the compound.