[ 2011-12-01 ]

Foreign Secretary William Hague: "We require the immediate closure of the Iranian embassy in London"

UK to expel all Iranian diplomats
The UK is to expel all Iranian diplomats following
the storming of its embassy in Tehran, Foreign
Secretary William Hague has announced.

He said he had ordered the immediate closure of
the Iranian embassy in London.

Tuesday's attack by hundreds of protesters
followed Britain's decision to impose further
sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme.

The sanctions led to Iran's parliament reducing
diplomatic ties with the UK.

Mr Hague said he was demanding the immediate
closure of the Iranian embassy in London, with all
its staff to leave the UK within 48 hours.

"If any country makes it impossible for us to
operate on their soil they cannot expect to have a
functioning embassy here," Mr Hague told MPs.

He said there had been "some degree of regime
consent" in the attacks on the embassy and on
another UK diplomatic compound in Tehran.

He said all UK diplomatic staff in Tehran had been
evacuated and the embassy closed.

Mr Hague said relations between the UK and Iran
were now at their lowest level, but the UK was not
severing relations with Tehran entirely.

Addressing parliament, Mr Hague said he was due to
raise the matter at a meeting of the EU Foreign
Affairs Council in Brussels.

"We will discuss these events and further action
which needs to be taken in the light of Iran's
continued pursuit of a nuclear weapons programme,"
he said.

Also on Wednesday, Germany announced it was
temporarily recalling its ambassador to Tehran
over the "unacceptable" storming of the British
embassy.

Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi said the
Iranian ambassador to Rome was being summoned to
give guarantees of security for Italy's mission in
Tehran.

Hundreds of protesters - whom Iran described as
"students" - massed outside the embassy compound
on Tuesday afternoon before scaling the walls and
the gates, burning British flags and a car.

Another UK diplomatic compound in northern Tehran,
known locally as Qolhak Garden, was also overrun
and damaged.

Iran said it regretted the incident, which it
described as "unacceptable behaviour by a small
number of protesters".

Mr Hague said the majority of those taking part
had been members of a regime-backed Basij militia
group.

He said the private quarters of staff and the
ambassador had been ransacked, the main embassy
office set on fire and personal possessions
belonging to UK diplomats stolen.

The US, EU and UN Security Council also condemned
the attacks.

Turbulent history
Relations between the UK and the Islamic Republic
of Iran have been fraught since the Iranian
revolution in 1979.

Wednesday's move brings bilateral relations to
their lowest level since 1989 when ties were
broken over Iran's declaration of a "fatwa"
(edict) to kill the author Salman Rushdie.

Analysts have compared Tuesday's scenes in Tehran
to the 1979 storming of the US embassy there. That
ended with more than 50 US diplomats and staff
being held hostage for more than 400 days.

The US and Iran have had no diplomatic ties since
then - the Swiss embassy in Tehran serves as the
protecting power for US interests in the country.


Last week the US, Canada and the UK announced new
sanctions against Iran, including measures to
restrict the activities of the Iranian central
bank.

The UK said then it was severing all financial
ties with Iran.

The move followed a report by the UN's nuclear
watchdog (IAEA) that said Iran had carried out
tests "relevant to the development of a nuclear
device".

Iran denies the accusations, saying its nuclear
programme is solely for peaceful purposes.

On Sunday, Iran's parliament voted by a large
majority to downgrade diplomatic relations with
the UK in response to the recent action.

Source - BBC

... go Back