Britain reopens embassy in Tehran

Britain's foreign secretary Philip Hammond held a ceremony in the embassy with Ajay Sharma, the new charge d’affaires who will be Britain’s top diplomat in Tehran.

Britain's foreign secretary Philip Hammond leaves a Royal Air Force aeroplane after arriving at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, Iran on August 23, 2015. Britain reopened its embassy in Tehran on Sunday, a historic step in the thawing of relations between the Islamic state and western powers. Darren Staples/ReutersShow less

TEHRAN // Britain’s foreign secretary reopened his country’s embassy in Tehran on Sunday in a long-awaited step signalling better relations four years after a mob stormed the compound, forcing its closure.

Philip Hammond’s visit comes five weeks after Britain and five other world powers struck a deal with Iran to end a 13-year dispute over the Islamic republic’s disputed nuclear programme.

Mr Hammond held a ceremony in the embassy with Ajay Sharma, the new charge d’affaires who will be Britain’s top diplomat in Tehran.

Iran’s embassy in London will also reopen on Sunday. The two countries are expected to appoint ambassadors in the coming months.

Mr Hammond was also due to hold a press conference with Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister and lead negotiator in the nearly two years of talks that ended Tehran’s isolation from the West.

“Arrived in #Tehran. First British Ministerial visit since 2003. Historic moment in UK-Iran relations,” Mr Hammond tweeted.

European officials have been visiting Tehran since July 14, when the nuclear agreement with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States was announced in Vienna.

The deal will see the lifting of economic sanctions imposed on Iran, in exchange for curbs on its atomic activities.

The deal has sparked a flurry of interest from countries seeking to re-connect with the Islamic republic, whose 78 million population is also seen as a largely untapped market for other industries.

The thaw between Britain and Iran began with the June 2013 presidential election victory of Hassan Rouhani, a moderate who reached out to the West.

Following the 2011 embassy attack, Britain said it could not have happened without the tacit consent of the Iranian regime at the time.

It erupted after Iran’s parliament voted to expel the British ambassador and reduce trade relations in retaliation for sanctions against Iran’s banking sector.

Students rampaged for hours through the diplomatic compound in downtown Tehran, tearing down the British flag, ripping up pictures of Queen Elizabeth II and damaging offices. Staff were seized by protesters.

Diplomatic relations were reduced to their lowest possible level, with Britain expelling Iran’s officials.

“Reopening our embassies is a key step to improved bilateral relations,” Mr Hammond said.

“We will want to ensure that the nuclear agreement is a success, including by encouraging trade and investment once sanctions are lifted.”

He said London and Tehran should also be ready to discuss challenges including extremism, regional stability and the spread of the ISIL extremist group in Syria and Iraq.

“This move does not mean that we agree on everything. But it is right that Britain and Iran should have a presence in each other’s countries,” Mr Hammond said.

Plans to reopen the embassy were announced in June last year.

Mr Sharma was appointed in a non-resident position in November 2013.

Mr Hammond and treasury minister Damian Hinds are visiting Tehran with a small trade delegation for the two-day visit.

Mr Hammond’s visit follows his Italian, French and German counterparts who travelled to Iran with business delegations after the nuclear deal.

* Agence France-Presse