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FM Spokesman: Closure of IRI Embassy in London a passive move

Iran Materials 1 December 2011 01:10 (UTC +04:00)

After British Government's order for closure of Islamic Republic of Iran's Embassy in London IRI Foreign Ministry spokesman here Wednesday emphasized UK's harried move was passive, IRNA reported.

According to IRNA, Ramin Mehmanparast referring to the British Government's order to the Iranian diplomats in London to depart the country within 48 hours, added, 'Obviously, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, too, would in reply adopt the necessary measures respectively.'

He reiterated, 'Iran is committed to observe its international responsibilities, considering as unacceptable any kind of trespassing against foreign diplomats and diplomatic premises, and breaking the international rules and regulations.'

Mehmanparast said, 'What happened in case of the British Embassy in Tehran was an unpredictable event, following the wrath of some protesters against the British Government's conduct regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was tackled sagaciously and thanks to the adopted measures, the diplomats remained unharmed, and the files of the violators of the laws too, are under survey at the judiciary.'

The Foreign Ministry spokesman said, 'Obviously, the Islamic Republic of Iran Government, too, would in response adopt necessary measures respectively, while the responsibility of keeping undamaged the properties and diplomatic premises of the Islamic Republic of Iran in London is up to the British Government.'

The British Foreign Secretary William Hague Wednesday evening in an address at the British House of Commons ordered that the IRI Embassy in London must be shut down and the Iranian diplomats and embassy staffs, too, must leave the country within 48 hours.

'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,' said Hague.

The attacks on British Embassy and Qolhak Garden come two days after the Iranian parliament approved a Bill reducing diplomatic relations with Britain following London's support of recently-upgraded US sanctions on Tehran.

The Bill - which marks a new low point in diplomatic tensions between London and Tehran - requires Iran and Britain to withdraw their ambassadors from each other's country and reduce representation to the level of charge d'affaires.

Iranian parliament on Wednesday ratified emergency of a two-star bill which entails reducing of ties with Britain.

The bill received 162 votes in favor from among 198 votes cast by Majlis deputies.

Head of National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Majlis Ala'eddin Boroujerdi reacting to the move, said that the Majlis considered the bill in response to the recent UK decision to exercise sanctions against Iran's Central Bank (Bank Markazi).

Noting that the history of UK policies towards Iran in years after the victory of the Islamic Revolution is full of treachery and crimes, he said that Britain undoubtedly had a hand in all the crimes committed by Americans in Iran even before the 1979 revolution.

He said Iran regarded the UK as a major element behind anti-Iran human rights resolutions, barring Iran from gaining access to its inalienable peaceful nuclear rights, excluding the terrorist Mojahedeen-e Khalq Organization (MKO) from the list of terrorist groups and assisting Saddam Hussein during the imposed war against Iran.

Boroujerdi further pointed out that the UK was the standard-bearer of unlawful sanctions imposed on Iran and said given all these facts it is not either acceptable or logical to continue ties with such a country.

The parliamentarian further asked the Iranian foreign minister to expel the British ambassador from Iran because of its hostile policies against the country.

He said it was not right to have relations with the UK in the present circumstances.

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