Iran Decries ‘Theatrical’ Tumult in London Embassy Attack
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Iranian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned a Friday attack on the Islamic Republic’s embassy building in London, calling for the punishment of the masterminds and perpetrators of the theatrical tumult that ended after the London Police’s involvement.
In a statement on Friday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi condemned the attack during which four men dressed in black raided the Iranian embassy in London, climbed on to a first-floor balcony of the building, took down the Iranian flag, and waved flags of their radical cult in an apparent protest against the Islamic Republic.
No one was hurt during the incident and the trespassers were arrested when they came down after around three hours. The four are detained for causing criminal damage and being unlawfully on diplomatic premises, a spokeswoman for London’s Metropolitan Police said.
“Immediately after the incident was reported, Dr. Araqchi, the (Iranian) deputy foreign minister for political affairs, expressed the Islamic Republic of Iran’s strong protest to the British ambassador to Tehran and demanded that the UK police fully protect our diplomats in London and immediately deal with the assailants,” Foreign Ministry’s website quoted Qassemi as saying.
According to the spokesperson, the British ambassador to Tehran has extended the British government’s official apology.
Qassemi quoted the top British diplomat as saying that the UK riot police are present at the scene and have the situation under control.
He finally called for the prosecution and punishment of those behind the raid.
Also, Iran’s ambassador to Britain, Hamid Baeidnejad, tweeted that the assailants were “advocates of the Shirazi cult” and had replaced Iran’s national flag with that of their group. He said all staff at the embassy were safe.