LONDON, 5 September 2003 — Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday urged Iran to comply with international demands regarding nuclear power and cease support for terrorist groups.
He said Britain would remain critical of Tehran until it agreed to allow tougher inspections of its nuclear sites, and said his government was under “no illusions” about its relationship with the Iranian authorities.
“We have a policy of, I would describe it actually, as critical engagement,” Blair told a news conference. “We are engaged with Iran, we have a dialogue with their leadership, but we are under no illusions.
“It is important both that they adhere completely to the demands of the international community in respect of nuclear weapons and that they cease all support of terrorist groups,” he said. “Until those two things are done, that engagement is going to remain critical.”
The Foreign Office yesterday authorized the voluntary departure of nonessential staff members and their dependents from Britain’s embassy in Tehran.
The embassy closed Wednesday after five shots were fired at the building. No one was injured in the shooting, which came two days after a rowdy protest outside the embassy over Britain’s role in the occupation of Iraq.
The Foreign Office said the closure of the embassy was a straightforward security measure and did not represent a downgrading of diplomatic relations.
“We are not advising the British community to leave, nor are we advising against nonessential travel to Iran, as we believe the threat is against the embassy and not private individuals,” a spokesman said on condition of anonymity.
Relations between Britain and Iran have soured in recent weeks over last month’s arrest of a former Iranian diplomat in England in connection with the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Argentina.
Conservative newspaper Kayhan reported yesterday that Tehran had put cultural and scientific cooperation with London on hold following the arrest of Hadi Soleimanpur, the former Iranian ambassador to Argentina.
Kayhan said the Foreign Ministry has sent letters to “some organizations” advising them that travel to Britain “by officials and non-officials in the education, science, culture and sports fields were suspended, and that such (cooperation) activities will not be held until further notice.”
The letter was sent by the director general of cultural coordination at the Foreign Ministry, the newspaper said.
Ties between Tehran and London have been deteriorating fast since the arrest on Aug. 21 of Soleimanpur on an extradition request from Buenos Aires accusing him of taking part in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center that killed 85 people.
Iran has said it would not allow Soleimanpur ‘s extradition to Argentina and that it preserved the right to expel the British ambassador in Tehran.
