British Embassy in Teheran Occupied

[ORAC]

No word on British staff, possibly a repeat of the 1979 US Embassy hostage scenario

Torygraph:British embassy attack in Iran: live (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/8922993/British-embassy-attack-in-Iran-live.html)

British embassy in Iran attacked by protesters (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/8923010/British-embassy-in-Iran-attacked-by-protesters.html)

British officials said they were urgently trying to establish whereabouts of staff and the scope of the threat unleashed by the breach.

Iranian hardliners had called for a demonstration against the embassy yesterday after the country adopted a law requiring the regime to throw out the British ambassador.

Reports from the scene said that security forces had failed to secure the site as dozens of students stormed the British Embassy, bringing down the union flag and throwing documents from windows.

The students clashed with anti-riot police and chanted "the Embassy of Britain should be taken over" and "death to England."

America lost its foothold in Tehran when students stormed the "den of spies" in 1979, triggering a 444 seize in which dozens of diplomats were held captive...........

[Courtney Mil]

Thanks for posting this, ORAC.

They're not making any friends, are they? Let's hope the embassy staff are OK.

Courtney

[Mach Two]

Hear, hear. Are these people barking mad? The expression 'hell in a handbasket' springs to mind.

[ninja-lewis]

Hasn't this happened a couple of times before (2009 and 2005 at least)?

[500N]

From a newspaper over here
"Police, who had initially stood by as about 20 protesters clambered the walls, entered the compound and, after more than half an hour, managed to remove most of them."

Someone "up high" obviously told the Police to move them PDQ by the sounds of it.

[Halton Brat]

I have read that one of these oiks was brandishing a framed portrait of Her Majesty, clearly looted from the Embassy.

In a previous era, we would have sent a gunboat to quell & punish such rank impertinance.

This is all the work of President Armydinnerjacket & his rabid Revolutionary Guards.

HB

[Whenurhappy]

Gunboats, carrier groups and harriers are sooo 20th century. I think a strongly-worded email from the FCO is needed (plus a back order on cheap grey suits and iPods...).

[Mach Two]

Could you actually get a gunboat to Tehran? Anyway, Buccaneers, that's what you need. Was it Op Pulsator?

[polyglory]

Stage managed by the Regime, a real bunch of zealots.

[Nubboy]

Last time I looked out of the window on departing IKA there was a bloomin great mountain range between Tehran and the (landlocked) Caspian Sea. Now, I know the Senior Service:ok: is pdg, but even they might find it a tad challenging.

[Halton Brat]

Gosh, you guys are just so picky today!

Clearly, the RN would dismount the boat's main armament in port, & manhandle it overland. I saw them do it at Earl's Court - simples!

HB

[chopper2004]

Operation Eagle Claw 2011 over the horizon?

[The Blue Parrot]

Why don't the RN just sail near the middle of the Strait of Hormuz, they'll be in the middle of Tehran before they know it. Robert's your Dad's Brother!

Simples!

[The Blue Parrot]

Ah, Op PULSATOR 83/84, great memories, especially of the Village Wine Shop in Limassol. Kev dropping a sodium light on Shuggie's head and real men flying through Beirut, not over it! Not to mention a very low pass down the runway by Red 7 which thankfully ended happily for Chris Hurst:eek:

[jamesdevice]

from the website of the Iranian Embassy in the UK:
Iranian Embassy - London: Iran regrets some protesters´ actions (http://www.iran-embassy.org.uk/page/?m=vp&i=675)
"On Tuesday, hundreds of Iranian students from different universities entered the compound of the British embassy in Tehran and pulled down Britain´s flag. However, police prevented them from entering the embassy itself.

In a statement released later on Tuesday, Iran´s Foreign Ministry expressed regret over the unacceptable actions of a few protesters despite the efforts of Iranian security forces to stop them.

According to the statement, relevant officials have been asked to immediately conduct necessary investigations with regards to this issue.

Stressing the Islamic Republic´s respect for international law and the immunity of diplomatic buildings, Iran´s Foreign Ministry also reiterated the Iranian government´s commitment to protect the diplomatic missions.

Police say the situation is under control, and security forces are trying to remove students who have entered the British embassy compound.

Police say they are protecting the embassy building and the documents inside, dispersing the large crowds gathered outside the embassy compound.

In northern Tehran, police entered a second British diplomatic compound to bring the security situation there under control. Police say all foreign nationals in the compound are under protection of security forces"


I find that last sentence that I've highlighted rather disturbing

[Clearedtoroll]

I hope the embassy staff are all well. I also hope the regret (genuine or otherwise) expressed by the Iranian Foreign Ministry - in contrast to the earlier fighting talk from other parts of the government - again shows how much internal conflict there is within the government.

I just hope the elite tears itself apart before it does anything too stupid.

[NutLoose]

Does this mean another lot paraded in front of the press in really badly fitting Iranian suits?

On a serious note, one hopes they are all well, the police standing by for an hour before acting sounds more like orders, than the getting them out afterwards"..

[sisemen]

Isn't it possible to rally a few of the great unwashed from Brixton/Croydon/Tottenham to stage a repeat performance of their last lot of antics and storm the Iranian Embassy in London?

[500N]

Nutloose

I totally agree re orders. I would say that they just don't need any more heat applied and especially diplomatic heat which can of course be turned on them as well.

[Al Fakhem]

Isn't it possible to rally a few of the great unwashed from Brixton/Croydon/Tottenham to stage a repeat performance of their last lot of antics and storm the Iranian Embassy in London?

Look at the Iranian prime minister, and you will note that the great unwashed/unshaved/horribly dressed are Iranians!

On a more serious note: aren't embassies, particularly in "difficult" countries, supposed to be guarded by their own armed forces (e.g. US marines at US embassies)? What security is in force at UK embassies?

[Whenurhappy]

Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961) requires the receiving State to defend accredited missions, which, paradoxically are Sovereign territory of the sending State. The US is one of the few countres that routinely deploys military personnel to defend its overseas missions (and with good justification). AFAIR, the UK hasn't doen this since the days of the Boxer Rebellion with the exception of RMP CP teams; amongst other reasons, having your own troops in someone else's country - especially if it is a potential hostile nation (eg IRoI) is extremely problematical, as the troops do not normally receive diplomatic accreditation - at best they get A&T accreditation which is typically 'lifed' and only affords immunity during their working hours, thus they would be open to be harrassed off-duty &c...ad nauseum.

Imagine, if you will, what would have happened yesterday if British troops defending the British Embassy on Bobby Sands Street (for that is the name!) open fired on the demonstrators? Next thing tanks would be rolling against Her Britannic Majesty's Embassy - and its staff.

[Trim Stab]

It is fairly short-sighted not to try to understand why this is happening. Only the ignorant think all Iranians are a bunch of terrorists - they're not at all. Most Iranians are well educated, literate, and understand what is going on in the world around them. They are genuinely angry about western hypocrisy over a number of issues - eg turning a blind eye to Israel's repeated violations of international law, double standards towards regimes in Saudi/Syria, amongst others. I fully understand why young Iranians are angry, and why they want their country to stand up against these unfair standards. There is a total failure of western politicians to recognise what is actually going on in Iran right now.

[parabellum]

Most Iranians are well educated, literate, and understand what is going on in the world around them. They are genuinely angry about western hypocrisy over a number of issues - eg turning a blind eye to Israel's repeated violations of international law,


Only partially correct, yes there are a large number of well educated and literate Iranians but by no means are they a majority and the educated Iranians hate the present regime in Iran far more than they hate the Israelis, in many cases they don't hate at all, they actually admire Israel and what it has achieved.

[Out Of Trim]

Whatever, happy to see Tehran turned into a glass car park forthwith! :ok:

[pr00ne]

Out Of Trim,

"Whatever, happy to see Tehran turned into a glass car park forthwith:ok: "

What a very strange and rather sad post. Happy to see mass murder, happy to see millions of innocents die.

Sick.

[LT Selfridge]

The CIA factbook has Iranian literacy at 77% and the number of years schooling a child can expect to receive at 13 years.

[500N]

Only relevant if you want to associate with others in that world.

A goat herder who can count his goats and work out payment in goats
in literate in his world.

[FODPlod]

...or possibly numerate? :)

[Capetonian]

Look at the Iranian prime minister, and you will note that the great unwashed/unshaved/horribly dressed are Iranians!

Iran doesn't have a Prime Minister. However I think we all know what, or whom, you mean.

I spent a couple of weeks in Iran and what is going on there is a tragedy for the majority of Iranians, who despise their regime and the evil it has created, and the image their country presents to the world.

Along with the liberation of Zimbabwe, my letter to father Christmas will be asking for the liberation of Iran too.

[500N]

" ...or possibly numerate? http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/smile.gif"


I think I'll get my goat:O

[rh200]

The CIA factbook has Iranian literacy at 77% and the number of years schooling a child can expect to receive at 13 years.

Wonder how many of those years are citing the Koran? Or reading up on "good" fact about Iran and the evils of the west:p

[GreenKnight121]

UK expels Iran diplomats after embassy attack | Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/30/us-iran-britain-embassy-idUSTRE7AS0X720111130)

By Robin Pomeroy and Mitra Amiri
TEHRAN | Wed Nov 30, 2011 5:50pm EST

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Britain shut Iran's embassy in London and expelled all its staff on Wednesday, saying the storming of the British mission in Tehran could not have taken place without consent from Iranian authorities.
Foreign Secretary William Hague also said the British Embassy in Tehran had been closed and all staff evacuated following the attack on Tuesday by a crowd that ransacked offices and burned British flags in a protest over sanctions imposed by Britain on Tehran.


Iran warned that Britain's closure of the Iranian embassy in London would lead to further retaliation.
Tuesday's incident was the most violent so far as relations between the two countries steadily deteriorate due to Iran's wider dispute with the West over its nuclear program.


Analysts say it also appeared to reflect factionalism within Iran's ruling establishment, a unique hybrid of clerical and secular authority, and efforts by hardliners to undermine President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

On top of its ban on British financial institutions dealing with Iran and its central bank last week, Britain has called for further measures and a diplomatic source said London would now support a ban on oil imports from the Islamic Republic.
Hague said Iranian ambassadors across the European Union had been summoned to receive strong protests over the incident. But Britain stopped short of severing ties with Iran completely.


"The Iranian charge (d'affaires) in London is being informed now that we require the immediate closure of the Iranian embassy in London and that all Iranian diplomatic staff must leave the United Kingdom within the next 48 hours," Hague told parliament.
"We have now closed the British embassy in Tehran. We have decided to evacuate all our staff and as of the last few minutes, the last of our UK-based staff have now left Iran."


France, Germany and the Netherlands said they were recalling their ambassadors for consultations. Germany said it would offer to take over consular duties on behalf of Britain in Tehran.


Hague said it was "fanciful" to think Iranian authorities could not protect the British embassy, or that the assault could have taken place without "some degree of regime consent."

Note that the article links this incident with both internal Iranian politics and with the nuclear issue:

RIFTS IN IRAN
Negotiations on Iran's nuclear program were now "dead," said Ali Ansari, director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at St Andrews University in Scotland.
"What you are moving into is a period of containment and quarantine. I don't think we are into a military confrontation, but we are into a period of containment and they (the West) are going to try and tighten the noose."


The attack also exposes widening rifts within Iran's ruling elite. It appeared to be part of a move by the conservatives who dominate parliament to force Ahmadinejad to heed their demand to expel the British ambassador.
Ahmadinejad and his ministers have shown no willingness to compromise on their refusal to halt Iran's nuclear work but have sought to keep talks open to limit what sanctions are imposed.
The West believes the program is aimed at building a nuclear weapon, a charge Tehran strongly denies.


"This incident was planned by elements who are not opposed per se to negotiations but want to stop them merely because of their own petty political struggles," said Trita Parsi, a U.S.-based expert on Western-Iranian relations.
"The push to get the UK ambassador out came from parliament which is headed by Ali Larijani," Parsi said. "When Larijani was chief nuclear negotiator Ahmadinejad carried out a similar campaign against negotiations."


Ahmadinejad was once seen as a protege of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But he has faced challenges this year from hardliners who fear his faction threatens the role of the Islamic clergy in the political system that emerged after Iran's 1979 revolution: a parliamentary one, with a directly elected president overseen by a powerful cleric.


Khamenei's recent comment that the directly elected presidency could be replaced with one elected by parliament has been welcomed by those who want to clip Ahmadinejad's wings.