Iran strongly condemns attack on its embassy in London

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi has strongly condemned an attack on the Islamic Republic’s embassy in London, urging swift action to counter the attackers.

Immediately after receiving news of the assault on Friday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi voiced Tehran’s strong protest to Britain’s ambassador to Tehran, he added.

Araqchi called on British police to fully protect the Iranian diplomats in London, the spokesperson said.

The British ambassador, for his part, offered the British government’s apology for the incident and said anti-riot police is present in the embassy compound and has brought the situation under control, Qassemi added.

He emphasized that all necessary measures have been adopted to protect the Iranian diplomats and prevent the assailants’ entry into the embassy building.

A number of attackers scaled the wall of Iran’s embassy building in London and took down the Iranian flag, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.

The report added that British police carried out no measure to protect the compound during the attack.

In a post on his official Twitter account on Friday, Iranian Ambassador to London Hamid Baeidinejad confirmed the assault.

He said the assailants were carrying knives and sticks and chanted slogans against Iranian officials.

Embassy attackers arrested: Qassemi

Later on Friday, Qassemi said the attackers who had climbed on the balcony of the Iranian embassy in London were arrested, adding the spectacle is now over.

He called for the trial and punishment of the perpetrators of the assault.