Foreign Secretary William Hague said plans to re-open the British Embassy in Tehran are an "important step forward" in relations with Iran.

Hague said the "circumstances were right" following an improvement in bilateral relations in recent months.

Full diplomatic relations with Iran were suspended in 2011.

The election of a new Iranian president and a deal on Iran's nuclear program has led to renewed contacts this year.

Hague said the UK embassy would re-open "as soon as practical arrangements are made" as a sign of "increasing confidence" in the state of relations between the two countries.

"There has never been any doubt in my mind that we should have an embassy in Tehran if the circumstances allowed," he said according to FNA.

"Iran is an important country in a volatile region, and maintaining embassies around the world, even under difficult conditions, is a central pillar of the UK's global diplomatic approach."

Speaking in Parliament, Hague rejected suggestions that the move amounted to a "softening" of the UK's approach towards Iran and stressed the UK wanted to see a change in its foreign policy.

EA