New Chapter Opened in Tehran-London Ties: Iran’s Envoy

Speaking in a ceremony to reopen Iran’s embassy in London on Sunday, Mohammad Hassan Habibollahzadeh said relations between the two countries have entered a new stage.

Iran’s ties with Britain can expand on the basis on mutual respect and non-interference, just like ties with the other nations, Habibollahzadeh, now a resident charge d’affaires, added.

“As an influential country in West Asia, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s administration is prepared to promote international cooperation with Britain,” he noted.

With the official reopening of Iran’s embassy in London, all diplomatic activities will be gradually reestablished, the diplomat said.

Also on Sunday, the British embassy in Iran also reopened after a 4-year closure.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond attended a ceremony to mark the reopening. It was the first visit by a British foreign secretary to Iran since 2003.

The thaw in Iran-Britain relations follows finalization of a landmark nuclear deal between Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) on July 14.

The two countries’ ties soured in 2011. On November 27, 2011, a large majority of Iranian lawmakers voted to downgrade diplomatic ties with Britain, following Britain’s decision to impose sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran.

Later, angry Iranian students stormed the British embassy in Tehran and pulled down the European country’s flag.

Following the incident, Britain withdrew its diplomatic staff from Tehran on November 30 and asked Iran’s diplomatic delegation in London to leave within 48 hours.

The two countries made diplomatic efforts afterwards to amend ties.