Britain will reopen its embassy in Iran, William Hague announces, as western powers seek to co-operate with Tehran to tackle the advance of Isis in Iraq.
The UK closed its Iranian embassy in 2011 after a protest against British sanctions turned violent (pictured, above), leading to buildings being burned and offices ransacked. Mr Hague said the new embassy would be opened as soon as practically possible with a “small initial presence”.
Britain has said it will not respond militarily to the current crisis in Iraq, which has seen fighters from militant group Isis sweep through the north of the country – taking control of cities and, evidence suggests, executing soldiers.
However, the announcement comes as the US says it may use airstrikes to stem the Isis tide. The US is also sending 275 military personnel to Iraq to protect its embassy staff.
In a statement to Congress, US President Barack Obama said that the military personnel will help to relocate some of the US embassy staff.
In reference to any further military action, the White House said: “The president will continue to consult with his national security team in the days to come,” without elaborating.
US officials insisted that the embassy in Baghdad would remain open, despite the threat from Sunni insurgents, and said that that a “substantial majority” of US embassy staff would remain.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague did not refer to the Iraq crisis as he said Britain would reopen the embassy in Tehran, though he did say that Iran was an important player in a “volatile region”.
Maintaining embassies around the world, even under difficult conditions, is a central pillar of the UK’s global diplomatic approach. William Hague
“Over the past four months, we have continued to expand our bilateral engagement,” Mr Hague said in a statement. “British and Iranian officials have paid regular visits to each other’s capitals.
“This has enabled us to resolve a range of practical matters concerning our embassies. And it has allowed us to discuss a broad range of issues, including areas where we and Iran have sharply differing views.
“Our two primary concerns when considering whether to reopen our embassy in Tehran have been assurance that our staff would be safe and secure, and confidence that they would be able to carry out their functions without hindrance.
“There has never been any doubt in my mind that we should have an embassy in Tehran if the circumstances allowed. Iran is an important country in a volatile region, and maintaining embassies around the world, even under difficult conditions, is a central pillar of the UK’s global diplomatic approach.”
The statement comes as the United Nations refugee agency, the UNHCR, said it was sheltering some of the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who were seeking refuge in the Kurdish region of the country.
An estimated 300,000 people have been forced to flee violence and scores were killed last week in Mosul (see video above), in a concerted attack by the militant group Isis.
Isis militants have force the Iraqi army back and seized the north of the country in the past week, threatening to dismember Iraq and unleash all-out sectarian warfare with no regard for national borders.
Sunni extremists posted photos online appearing to show Iraqi soldiers being massacred, and the fighters have been joined by other armed Sunni groups that oppose what they say is oppression by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
In an historic move, US officials have been in talks with Iran over the escalating crisis in Iraq. The two foes were due to hold talks this week to discuss a potential nuclear disarmament programme.
The United Nations human rights chief said forces allied with Isis had almost certainly committed war crimes by executing hundreds of non-combatant men in Iraq over the past five days.
The UNHCR has helped internally displaced peoples take refuge in places including Alqush, near the city of Dohuk northwest of Mosul, where the village’s school now houses around 150 people.