London, Sept 04: The foreign office authorised
today the voluntary departure of non-essential members of
staff and dependants at the British Embassy in Tehran amid a
souring of relations between Britain and Iran.
"Voluntary departure from the embassy of dependents
and non-core members of staff has been authorised," a foreign
office statement said.
The British Embassy in Tehran was shut indefinitely
on Wednesday after shots were fired at the mission, just
hours after Iran's ambassador to Britain was recalled for
consultations.
"We are not advising the British community to leave
nor are we advising against non-essential travel to Iran as
we believe the threat is against the embassy and not private
individuals," the foreign office said.
"This is a straight forward security measure. We are
not downgrading diplomatic relations," it added.
Ties have soured since the arrest in London last
month of a former Iranian ambassador to Buenos Aires accused
of a role in a 1994 bombing of a Jewish Centre in Argentina
that killed 85 people.
Bureau Report
