Britain reopens its Iran embassy - in pictures

A convoy of diplomatic cars containing British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond arrive at the British embassy in Tehran on Sunday. Abedin Taherkenareh / EPA

Iranian pedestrians walk past the main gate of the newly reopened British Embassy in Tehran. The embassy has been closed for almost four years after hard-liners protesting the imposition of international sanctions over Iran’s contested nuclear program stormed it in November 2011. Ebrahim Noroozi / AP

Graffiti in Persian reads “Death to England” above a picture of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth at the British Embassy in Tehran. Britain reopened its embassy in Tehran on Sunday, a historic step in the thawing of relations between Iran and Western powers. Darren Staples / Reuters

Iran and the UK are also expected to appoint ambassadors in the coming months. Ebrahim Noroozi / AP

A convoy of diplomatic cars containing British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond arrive at the British embassy in Tehran on Sunday. Abedin Taherkenareh / EPA

Britain’s Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and non-resident charge d’affaires Ajay Sharma watch as the Union flag is raised at the British Embassy in Tehran on Sunday. 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 / Reuters

An Iranian man with his mobile shoeshine stall passes in front of the British embassy in Tehran. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond arrived at the embassy as Britain reopened its diplomatic presence in Tehran four years after it was attacked by protesters. Abedin Taherkenareh / EPA

Embassy staff work in front of a vandalised mirror at the British Embassy in Tehran. Darren Staples / Reuters

Iranian and foreign media wait in front of the British embassy in Tehran on Sunday. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond arrived at the embassy as Britain reopened its diplomatic presence in Tehran four years after it was attacked by protesters. Abedin Taherkenareh / EPA

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.