Shots fired at British embassy in Iran

Wednesday, 3 September 2003 12:00 AM

The British embassy in the Iranian capital, Tehran, has closed after a number of shots were fired at it.

Around five gunshots hit the embassy on its first and second floors, but it is believed that no one was hurt in the attack.

The shots were made from a street that runs next to the embassy at around 8:30 (BST) or midday local time.

The embassy was on a high state of alert because of the tensions caused by the conflict and subsequent occupation of Iraq by British and American soldiers.

Stones were thrown at the embassy over the last couple of days but this kind of attack had not been anticipated.

The attack follows the announcement that the Iranian Ambassador to Britain, Morteza Sarmadi, has been recalled. He was called back to Tehran to answer questions on why he could not get any concessions from the British government on the arrest of another Iranian diplomat.

Hamidreza Asefi, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, claimed that the ambassador had returned to Tehran for 'consultations', but would not confirm how long the ambassador would be staying in the capital.

Hade Soleimanpour was arrested on August 21 after Argentina applied for his extradition. Argentina claims that Mr Soleimanpour is connected to the bombing of a Jewish centre in Buenos Aires in 1994, when he was Iranian ambassador there. The attack killed 85 people and Mr Soleimanpour has strenuously denied any involvement in planning and commissioning the attack.

Iranian President Ali Mohammed Khatami has demanded that Britain releases the diplomat and apologise for his detainment. However, the government has stated that it would not intervene in a judiciary matter.

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