Golhak Garden, a 200,000-square-metre compound in northern Tehran, has long been at the centre of rows between Iran and Britain.
Golhak Garden, a 200,000-square-metre compound in northern Tehran, has long been at the centre of rows between Iran and Britain.

Iran fines British embassy for 'environmental vandalism' in Tehran compound



A sprawling British diplomatic compound in an upmarket north Tehran suburb is usually an oasis of green tranquillity in the midst of Iran's teeming and polluted capital.

Parrots flutter between towering plane trees and foxes frolic on the landscaped lawns where British envoys sip tea in the hot summer months under the shadow of the snow-dusted Alborz Mountains.

But the Gulhak Garden, as the 200,000-square-metre site is known, is now at the centre of a row between London and Tehran which threatens to further strain relations that have long been tense. Nor are the gardens so verdant today.

The compound's British "occupiers" have been accused of environmental vandalism after they allegedly cut down and burnt more than 300 trees. Tehran municipality officials said this week they have slapped the British embassy with a US$1.23 million (Dh4.5m) fine for the "crime".

Britain insists no healthy trees were felled. But it had to remove a "small number" that died of "natural causes and become dangerously unstable" after the compound's water supply was disrupted by the extension of the Tehran Metro nearly three years ago.

The embassy has been working with the Iranian authorities, including the Tehran Municipality, "to re-establish a water supply as a matter of urgency to ensure that any environmental damage is kept to a minimum", a spokesperson for the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said.

Even so, Tehran's mayor, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, announced at the end of last month that he is going to court in an attempt to reclaim the Gulhak compound. He insists the British embassy has no legal right to the prime real estate.

The compound, bordered by high walls, is home to a cemetery with the graves of more than 500 British and Commonwealth soldiers killed in the two world wars. Several British diplomats and some Iranian embassy staff are housed in the Gulhak complex, although ambassadors for decades have lived several miles away at the historic British embassy on Ferdowsi Avenue in central Tehran.

Observers suspect Mr Qalibaf may be using the Gulhak issue to boost his profile ahead of the 2013 presidential election, which he is due to contest. Baiting a former imperial power that the regime derides as the "Little Satan" could appeal to many.

"The role of the British Government in trying to destroy our national unity and territorial integrity is known to everyone," the mayor said.

Many Iranians are suspicious of Britain because it meddled in Iran in the 19th and 20th centuries. According to an old Iranian proverb, "If you trip over a pebble, you can be sure it was put there by a Briton".

Iran still views Britain as a great power with global reach.

That flattering perception will be little consolation to Dominic Chilcott, Britain's new ambassador to Tehran, who took up his post

last month.

William Hague, the British foreign secretary, last week refused to rule out military action against Iran in the long term if there is no progress in Tehran's cooperation with the UN's nuclear watchdog. In turn, Ali Larijani, Iran's speaker of parliament, ordered the chamber's Foreign Policy and National Security Committee to consider a motion to downgrade relations with Britain.

The row over the Gulhak compound is adding to the friction. The land was given to Britain at the height of its imperial power by the Qajar monarchy in the 19th century for use as a summer residence for the British ambassador. Gulhak was then a small village, well outside the capital.

Demonstrating against the tree felling earlier this month, Iranian protesters carried placards reading: "There is no place for the old fox of colonialism in the Gulhak Garden" and "Death to Britain."

A conservative lawmaker, Seyed Hossein Naqavi, alleged on Wednesday that papers held by the British embassy to prove its ownership "have been forged".

The Iranian authorities last made an attempt to reclaim the Gulhak compound five years ago when 162 MPs demanded its return so that it could be turned into an anti-colonial museum. Iranian media reported that an ensuing investigation found the compound belonged "completely" to Iran while Iranian officials at the time said they would grant Britain ownership in exchange for Hyde Park in London. Britain, unsurprisingly, ignored the offer.

Its two diplomatic compounds in Iran have borne the brunt of periodic anti-Western demonstrations since the embassy of the "Great Satan" America became defunct 31 years ago. The US embassy, dubbed the "nest of spies", was turned into an anti-American museum and also houses a detachment of Revolutionary Guards.

The Israeli embassy was handed over to the Palestine Liberation Organisation after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.

During Israel's military operation against Gaza in 2008, hundreds of Iranians stormed into the Gulhak complex where they replaced the Union Jack with the Palestinian flag.

Britain has not been notified of any fine over the tree-cutting and has only heard about a possible legal challenge to Gulhak's ownership from Iranian media reports. But, its foreign office spokesperson said Thursday: "Based on previous court documents, we are confident that we legally own the site."

mtheodoulou@thenational.ae

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

Company%20profile%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EElggo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20August%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Luma%20Makari%20and%20Mirna%20Mneimneh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Education%20technology%20%2F%20health%20technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESize%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Four%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder

Transmission: 7-speed auto

0-100kmh 2.3 seconds

0-200kmh 5.5 seconds

0-300kmh 11.6 seconds

Power: 1500hp

Torque: 1600Nm

Price: Dh13,400,000

On sale: now

Pakistan World Cup squad

Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abid Ali, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez(subject to fitness), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Junaid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain      

Two additions for England ODIs: Mohammad Amir and Asif Ali

'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEdited%20by%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Idries%20Trevathan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20240%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hirmer%20Publishers%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio

Date of birth: April 18, 1998

Playing position: Winger

Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda

What is graphene?

Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.

It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.

It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.

It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.

Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.

The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

The%20National%20selections
%3Cp%3E%3Cspan%20style%3D%22font-size%3A%2014px%3B%22%3E6pm%3A%20Go%20Soldier%20Go%3Cbr%3E6.35pm%3A%20Man%20Of%20Promise%3Cbr%3E7.10pm%3A%20Withering%3Cbr%3E7.45pm%3A%20Mawj%3Cbr%3E8.20pm%3A%20Falling%20Shadow%3Cbr%3E8.55pm%3A%20Law%20Of%20Peace%3Cbr%3E9.30pm%3A%20Naval%20Power%3Cbr%3E10.05pm%3A%20The%20Attorney%3C%2Fspan%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK 

Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV

The Lowdown

Kesari

Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Anubhav Singh
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra

 

How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
  • The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
  • The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
  • The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
  • The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
  • The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
Test

Director: S Sashikanth

Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan

Star rating: 2/5

Recipe

Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo

Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Method

Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.

Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.

Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking,  remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.

Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.

 

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

NO OTHER LAND

Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)

What is graphene?

Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.

It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.

Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.

By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.

At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.

It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.

But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.

In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties. 

 

Key Points
  • Protests against President Omar Al Bashir enter their sixth day
  • Reports of President Bashir's resignation and arrests of senior government officials
Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA