British Embassy to Reopen in Tehran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A spokesperson at the British Foreign Ministry said the country's embassy in Tehran would be reopened as soon as the practical arrangements are made.
Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency, the spokesperson refrained from setting a certain date for the reopening of the embassy in Tehran but added that at the beginning, a limited number of staff will restart activities at the embassy and the embassy would fully reopen in a few weeks.
Earlier, Iran’s non-resident chargé d’affaires in Britain, Mohammad Hassan Habibollahzadeh, had said the British embassy in Tehran would soon be reopened.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Majid Takht Ravanchi, has also confirmed the resumption of British embassy activities, saying there would be no certain date for that.
Tehran-London relations became tense three years ago. 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, a group of angry Iranian students stormed the British embassy in Tehran and pulled down that country’s flag.
Following the incident, Britain withdrew its diplomatic staff from the country on November 30 and asked Iran’s diplomatic delegation in London to leave within 48 hours.
Iran and Britain agreed in October last year to appoint non-resident chargé d’affaires as a first step towards reopening their respective embassies.
The development followed a September meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his British counterpart William Hague in New York, during which the two top diplomats discussed ways to improve Tehran-London ties.