Britain will reopen its embassy in Iran this weekend, almost four years after demonstrators stormed the building, sources say.
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Now with the embargo set be repealed in the wake of the nuclear deal, Britain’s foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, will travel to the Islamic Republic to reopen England’s bureau in the Iranian capital.
The Foreign Secretary’s visit follows similar trips by European officials, including the French and Italian Foreign Ministers, as well as Germany’s Vice-Chancellor and the EU’s foreign policy chief.
Britain, which said the storming of the embassy could not have taken place without the consent of the Iranian authorities, responded by shutting Iran’s embassy in London and expelling its diplomats.
Hammond will be accompanied on his visit by a handful of British business leaders as well as the foreign office political director, Sir Simon Gass, who represented British in the marathon talks leading up to the July nuclear agreement.
The British embassy came under attack in November 2011 when a mob of activists protested against UK sanctions on Iran. The mob included members of the paramilitary basij brigades, under the control of the Revolutionary Guards. The protesters climbed the walls of the embassy, looted property and burned flags.
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The group will be led by Ajay Sharma, who has been non-resident charge d’affaires since 2013. The name of the new ambassador has yet to be announced. Opponents in the U.S. Congress seek to reject the accord, but the Obama administration has warned that other nations will likely move ahead with lifting sanctions and restoring other channels with Iran.
