Iran and Britain have formalized the closure of their embassies in each other’s capital after Iranian demonstrators stormed the British embassy in Tehran last year.
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi reported that Oman will present Iranian interests in Britain, and the Swedish embassy will handle British interests in Iran.
The two countries closed their embassies and severed diplomatic relations after demonstrators forced their way into the British embassy in November of 2011. The demonstrations were triggered by British sanctions on Iran’s financial institutions and the tightening of sanctions on Iran.
Iranian Parliament had already voted to downgrade diplomatic relations with Britain, and the British ambassador was to be expelled from Tehran.
On June 14 of this year, Iranian and British authorities had their first meeting since their diplomatic rift, speaking on the sidelines of the “Heart of Asia Conference” in Kabul.
While there are conflicting reports on who initiated the meeting, the meeting itself was criticized in Iranian Parliament, though earlier talk of summoning the Foreign Minister for questioning was later dismissed.
