London, Tehran Take Historic First Step to Rebuilding Ties
A further upgrade in bilateral relations between Iran and the United Kingdom will require action by the Iranian parliament.
TEHRAN, Iran — It's only the beginning for the United Kingdom and Iran. Nonresident chargés d'affaires in both Tehran and London will start the step-by-step process that was agreed on by both Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his British counterpart William Hague in their Sept. 23 meeting in New York to re-establish relations after two years of complete alienation.
Back in November 2011, Iran’s parliament decided to downgrade relations with Britain due to new sanctions put in place by the UK. The next day, dozens of angry students stormed the British embassy in Tehran, damaging property and driving the embassy staff away. On Nov. 30, 2011, in response to the attack, the UK closed its embassy in Tehran and ordered the closure of the Iranian embassy in London.
The British-Iranian decision was preceded by an exchange of positive messages that started after the election of Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, who himself acquired his Ph.D. from a British university around a decade ago.
For sure, the reason behind the new approach isn't Rouhani's good memories of the UK, or his old friendship with some British politicians — which actually did play a role in easing the tensions — but rather a new strategy adopted by both Tehran and London that is expected to reflect positively on both the bilateral relations and the nuclear round table.
