Tehran Governor's Office Warns Against Gathering in Front of British Embassy

The Deputy Governor of Tehran stated that "no permit has been issued for a gathering in front of the British embassy" and warned against the illegal gathering of individuals in front of the British embassy in Tehran. Ali-Asghar Nasirbakht said in an interview with the IRNA news agency on Sunday, December 28, that "an anonymous group has published information about holding a gathering in front of the British embassy on the evening of Tuesday, December 29, on social media and invited people to participate in this gathering." He added, "No request has been sent to the Tehran Governor's Office for holding a gathering in front of the British embassy so far." The political and security deputy of the Tehran Governor's Office further stated that "based on this, holding any gathering in front of embassies, including the British embassy, is an offense and violators will be dealt with according to the law." Mr. Nasirbakht emphasized that "responsible agencies, including the police, will prevent any illegal gatherings in front of embassies according to the law." Previously, on November 29, 2011, a group of Basij paramilitaries, whom Islamic Republic media referred to as "students," attacked the British embassy in Tehran and occupied the premises along with the Qolhak Garden for hours. That attack, which had the implicit support of Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, led to severe international reactions and resulted in the closure of the Iranian embassy in London. After that attack, discussions between the two countries were held to improve relations, but last week, verbal clashes between British and Iranian officials escalated again, and both countries summoned each other's ambassadors. This verbal clash began after Theresa May, the British Prime Minister, stated on Wednesday, December 7, that Britain would assist these countries in standing against "Iran's aggressive actions in the region." The next day, the Iranian Foreign Minister described Theresa May's remarks as "exaggeration," and the Iranian Defense Minister considered it a sign of the British Prime Minister's "immaturity." Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, also reacted to Ms. May's statements, stating in a speech on Saturday that he believes "England has always been a source of evil and misery for nations in our region for the past two centuries," and said, "At that time, that shameless British official says Iran is a threat to the region." The recent warning from the Deputy Governor of Tehran regarding the gathering in front of the British embassy comes after a gathering of individuals in January 2016 escalated into violence in front of the Saudi embassy, which had significant repercussions for Iran's foreign relations with the Arab world. Following the execution of Sheikh Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric and critic of the Saudi government, protests were held in front of the Saudi embassy and consulate in Tehran and Mashhad on January 12, 2016, which ultimately led to attackers entering the embassy and setting part of it on fire. In response to this event, Saudi Arabia and many Arab countries severed diplomatic relations with Iran.