UK blamed for embassy closure upshot

The head of Iran's Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee says the British government will be answerable for the repercussions of shutting Iran's embassy in London. What happened in Tehran yesterday was not comparable to the incident at Iran's embassy in London in 1980, which led to the six-day occupation of the embassy by the Israeli regime's agents and death of two embassy staff, Fars news agency quoted Alaeddin Boroujerdi as saying on Wednesday. In 1980, a group of six gunmen affiliated to an anti-Iran terrorist group stormed the Iranian embassy building in South Kensington, London, taking 26 people -- mostly embassy staff-- hostage from April 30 to May 5. The embassy siege resulted in the death of two hostages including one diplomat, and ended with the intervention of Special Air Force (SAS) unit of the British army. “In that incident…the British police did not defend our embassy. However, the [Iranian] police clashed with students yesterday and did their best to protect the British embassy,” the senior Iranian legislator added. Boroujerdi further said, “The public opinion of the Iranian nation is undoubtedly delighted that the British regime's ambassador and diplomats are no more [present] in Tehran.” Boroujerdi also advised European Union member states not to follow Britain's example in this regard. Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague announced on Wednesday that London is withdrawing its diplomatic staff from Iran and that the Iranian embassy in London will be closed. Addressing the UK parliament following the students protest outside the UK embassy in Tehran, Hague said the Iranian embassy in London will be immediately closed and its diplomatic mission will be expelled from Britain. Hundreds of Iranian students staged a protest rally outside the UK embassy in Tehran on Tuesday, pulling down the UK flag and demanding the expulsion of the British envoy. Iran's Foreign Ministry expressed regret in a statement on Tuesday over the “unacceptable actions” of a number of protesters during the demonstration in front of the embassy.