Iran and Britain Introduce Their Ambassadors in Each Other's Capitals After Five Years

The governments of Iran and Britain introduced their ambassadors in each other's capitals for the first time on Monday, September 6, five years after the attack on the British embassy in Tehran in 2011. According to reports, Hamid Baeidinejad, 53, has been appointed as Iran's ambassador to London. Mr. Baeidinejad was a key member of Iran's negotiating team with world powers regarding the nuclear agreement last July and was the director general of political and international security at the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Britain has also introduced Nicholas Hopton, the current chargé d'affaires in Tehran, as its new ambassador. Nicholas Hopton has previously served as the ambassador to Yemen and Qatar. The introduction of the new British ambassador comes after the resumption of British Airways flights between Tehran and London last week. According to AFP, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson stated, "The elevation of diplomatic relations allows us to continue discussions on various issues, including several consular matters that are of great importance to me." He referred to the imprisonment of several British citizens in Iran who hold dual nationality. Mr. Johnson added, "I hope this marks the beginning of more constructive cooperation between the two countries and creates the groundwork for open dialogue on issues such as human rights, Iran's role in the region, compliance with nuclear agreement commitments, and the expansion of trade relations between the two countries." During the attack on the British embassy in 2011, assailants rampaged through the embassy building for hours, tearing down British flags and images of Queen Elizabeth and damaging offices and equipment within the building. This attack occurred after the Iranian parliament voted to expel the British ambassador and downgrade diplomatic relations in response to sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program. However, the Supreme Leader of Iran and other senior officials condemned the attack. In August 2015, a month after the nuclear agreement, during a visit by former British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond to Iran, the British embassy resumed its activities. Hamid Baeidinejad has worked for years as a diplomat and disarmament expert for the Iranian government in various United Nations bodies and served as Iran's ambassador to the UN from 2008 to 2011. There is a historical distrust towards the British government in Iran that dates back to the early 20th century. The British government interfered in Iran's internal affairs during those years for its own interests, particularly to ensure the exploitation of Iranian oil. The British government played a key role in 1953 in encouraging the CIA to execute a coup against the popular and elected government of Mohammad Mossadegh, the Iranian Prime Minister who sought to nationalize oil.