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British diplomatic mission in Tehran could not have taken place without some degree of consent from Iranian authorities.
Foreign Secretary William Hague also said the British Embassy in Tehran had been closed and all staff evacuated following the attack on Tuesday by a crowd who broke through gates, ransacked offices and burned British flags in a protest over sanctions imposed by Britain on the Tehran government.
It was the most violent incident so far as relations between the two countries worsen due to a wider dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Meanwhile, Fars News Agency reports that the Iranian Foreign Ministry will most likely expel all diplomats and staff members of the British embassy in Tehran after Britain escalated tensions between the two countries and closed down the Iranian embassy in London.
“The Iranian charge in London is being informed now that we require the immediate closure of the Iranian Embassy in London and that all Iranian diplomatic staff must leave the United Kingdom within the next 48 hours,” he said, addressing the Commons.
He said Britain had closed its embassy in Iran after the compound was stormed by protesters yesterday.
But he said his country would maintain ties with Iran, although at a low level.
“This does not amount to the severing of diplomatic relations in their entirety. It is action that reduces our relations with Iran to the lowest level consistent with the maintenance of diplomatic relations.”
Last night, young university students raided and occupied the British embassy compounds in Central and Northern Tehran, but they ended their occupations after senior police officials warned of escalated confrontation if they continued their sit-ins.
Repeated clashes between the police and the protestors took place last evening, which eventually led to the evacuation of both compounds. A number of protesters were wounded during the clashes as police exercised more power to force them out of the British mission.
One of the wounded protestors was reportedly in critical health conditions. The Iranian students move came after the Iranian legislators in an open session of the parliament on Sunday approved the bill of a law on downgrading relations with Britain with 179 yes votes, 4 oppositions and 11 abstentions. – Reuters, Fars News Agency.
Online Reporter