UK Reopens Embassy in Iran

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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UK has announced to reopen its embassy in Iran today in light of the improving diplomatic relations between two countries. The embassy was shut down almost four years ago after being stormed by violent protesters. British Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, will be flying to Tehran to attend the opening ceremony. The relationship between the two countries began improving gradually since the election of Hassan Rouhani as president.

The embassy will be headed by a c harge d’affaires, Ajay Sharma, but it is soon expected to be upgraded to a full ambassador status in the coming months as Iran does the same in London. The UK government announced to reopen the embassy last year as relationship improved between London and Tehran under Mr Rouhani and Iran’s strategic position skyrocketed due to the crisis sparked by Islamic State, also known as ISIL, in neighboring Iraq.

In a statement issued by the Foreign Secretary, he mentioned that “four years on from an attack on the British Embassy, I am today reopening it. The Iranians will simultaneously reopen their embassy in London. Our relationship has improved since 2011. President Rouhani’s election and last month’s nuclear agreement were important milestones. I believe that we have the potential to go much further.” He alleged that “reopening our embassies is a key step to improved bilateral relations. In the first instance, we will want to ensure that the nuclear agreement is a success, including by encouraging trade and investment once sanctions are lifted. Britain and Iran should also be ready to discuss the challenges we both face including terrorism, regional stability, the spread of Isil in Syria and Iraq, counter-narcotics and migration.”