MP says Iran shuttered embassies over lack of funding

According to one Iranian parliamentarian, financial issues were behind Iran's closing of a number of embassies, for which the Foreign Ministry has long complained of a lack of funding.
A plaque is displayed outside the Iranian embassy in central London, Britain August 20, 2015. Britain will reopen its embassy in Iran this weekend nearly four years after protesters ransacked the elegant ambassadorial residence and burned the British flag. The move to restore full diplomatic relations marks a thawing of ties with Iran since it reached a nuclear deal with the United States, China, Russia, Germany, France and Britain. REUTERS/Paul Hackett - RTX1OYJ1
A sign is displayed outside the Iranian Embassy in central London, Aug. 20, 2015. While the government of Iran has been working to thaw its relations with the West, including reopening the British Embassy in Tehran, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has reportedly shuttered a number of other embassies due to a lack of funds. - REUTERS/Paul Hackett
Al Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Arash Karami
@thekarami

In a March 24 interview with ICANA, parliamentarian Bagher Hosseini discussed the troubles facing Iran’s diplomatic institutions. According to Hosseini, “Some embassies have essentially been closed” due to financial issues.

Hosseini did not go into detail on which or how many embassies have been closed but he called the situation “very undesirable for the Islamic Republic.” He said that in the last few years, members of the parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy commission, where he serves on the executive board, have visited some of Iran’s embassies and concluded that many were operating under inadequate conditions.

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