Iranian Students Storm British Embassy in Tehran

By FARNAZ FASSIHI And ALISTAIR MACDONALD

Student protesters loyal to the Iranian government stormed the British Embassy in Tehran and its residential compound on Tuesday, in a coordinated attack that underscored the volatile and unpredictable nature of Iran's politics both at home and abroad.
The raid, which Britain said caused significant damage to its property, was the most serious security breach of a diplomatic site in Iran since the takeover of the U.S. embassy in 1979.
Live television footage from Iran's state broadcaster showed angry mobs climbing on a wall of the British Embassy building in downtown Tehran and two young men attempting to break the lock on the iron gate of the compound. Demonstrators took down the Union Jack flag and raised Iran's, Iranian news media reported.
Prime Minister David Cameron threatened Iran with "serious consequences" for failing to protect British staff, while President Barack Obama said he is "deeply disturbed" protesters were able to storm the embassy.
The White House also said the U.S. State Department is in close contact with British authorities over the embassy storming and is willing to help.

British Embassy Under Attack

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Vahid Salemi/Associated Press

Protesters scuffled with police officers at the British Embassy in Tehran.

The attack comes after the U.K. last week announced it would join the U.S. and Canada in coordinated sanctions against Iranian banks in a bid to cut off financing of its nuclear program. The U.K. has been one of the most vocal critics of Iran's nuclear program and its alleged sponsoring of regional terrorism.
U.K. Foreign Secretary William Hague said the embassy and a residential compound were "stormed by several hundred people," risking the safety of diplomats and their families and causing extensive damage to the buildings. Property was also taken from the residential compound, he added.
"The United Kingdom takes this irresponsible action extremely seriously," Mr. Hague said. "We hold the Iranian government responsible for its failure to take adequate measures to protect our embassy, as it is required to do." A British official said the Iranian government had known of the planned protest for some time.
Mr. Hague was forced to leave Parliament during the government's budget statement, one of the key events in the parliamentary calendar, when he was notified about the attack. The U.K. called in Iran's London-based representatives to the Foreign Office and Mr. Hague said he called Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi to "protest in the strongest term."
Iran's foreign ministry issued a statement condemning the actions and saying it was unfortunate that peaceful protests outside the embassy got out of control and urged security forces to take charge of the situation. The statement said Iran's foreign ministry respects international obligations to protect embassies and diplomats.
Several conservative lawmakers, however, praised the students' actions and said it was a response to Britain's long history of meddling in Iran's affairs.
On Tuesday, the United Nations Security Council also condemned the attack. In a statement, the Security Council called on Iranian authorities to "respect fully their international obligations."
Mr. Cameron chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Office Briefing Room, a meeting of the U.K.'s top political and security officials that is called in instances of crisis.

A day after the Iranian government expelled the British ambassador, anti-British demonstrators broke into the British Embassy compound into tehran as a row between the two countries escalates markedly. Jerry Seib has details on Lunch Break.

The U.K. also advised all its citizens in Iran to stay indoors and keep a low profile. Mr. Hague was set to make a series of calls to key allies through the night, said a person familiar with the matter.

From the Archives

From The Journal's Nov. 5, 1979, front page.

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By late evening, security forces and antiriot police had secured the area around the embassy and cleared the embassy premises of protesters. Iranian media reported that clashes broke out between protesters and the police when students entered the embassy for a third time and police used tear gas to disperse them. Official Iranian media reported that several protesters were arrested.
Iran's parliament voted on Sunday to downgrade its diplomatic relations with Britain to the level of a diplomatic attaché and evict the British ambassador from Tehran. On Tuesday, the parliament's decision was announced officially to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who must now order the foreign ministry to take action.

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Protesters enter the gate of the British Embassy in Tehran Tuesday.

The protesters belonged to the student chapter of plainclothes militia Basij, the volunteer task force most loyal to the Islamic Republic. A statement from the students posted on the conservative semiofficial Fars News Agency said they had acted independently.
"The takeover of the British Embassy has happened 32 years too late, we should have done this a long time ago. Any Iranian who loves his country should know today's action is in Iran's best interest," the statement said.

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Earlier, television footage showed a large number of antiriot police present outside the embassy attempting to break up the crowd, but mostly the security forces stood to the side and watched the students. Fars News reported that six foreign staffers at the embassy were briefly detained by students in the residential compound and later freed by police.
The U.K. and Iran have a long history of mutual antagonism that stretches back to Britain's days as a colonial power in the Middle East. More recently, the U.K. has backed the U.S.'s aggressive stance on Iran, earning itself the nickname "little Satan" to the U.S.'s "big Satan," among Iranian officials.
European Union foreign ministers will gather in Brussels on Thursday and are expected to broaden sanctions on close to 200 Iranian individuals and companies and threaten wider measures, including a possible oil embargo proposed by France. Although the U.K. has yet to declare its hand, it is likely to back these sanctions, particularly after Tuesday's events, a British official said.
Senior British officials fear that a nuclear Iran would trigger a nuclear-arms race in the Arab world as Saudi Arabia and even Egypt seek to catch up. Like the U.S., Britain has never ruled out backing military action against Iran in a bid to stop its nuclear program.