Restoration of full diplomatic relations comes nearly five years after Iranians stormed British embassy in Tehran

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

The UK has fully restored diplomatic relations with Iran by appointing an ambassador to Tehran for the first time since 2011.

The decision comes nearly five years after Iranians invaded the British embassy, and reflects the gradual thawing of relations in the wake of the Iranian nuclear agreement.

Nicholas Hopton, a Middle East specialist, was appointed UK chargé d’affairs in Tehran in December, and the upgrade in his role to ambassador – announced on Monday – had been regarded as only a matter of time.

A key figure in the Iranian nuclear negotiating team, Hamid Baeidinejad, has been appointed the Iranian ambassador to the UK.

The move came as British Airways restored direct flights to Tehran six days a week and British banks continued to increase operations as economic sanctions begin to be lifted.

In November 2011 Iran downgraded its relations with the UK when stronger international sanctions were imposed. A group of students then attacked the UK embassy compound in Tehran, damaging property and driving the embassy staff away.





Facebook Twitter Pinterest Iranian students stand on the gates of the British embassy in Tehran in November 2011. Photograph: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA

As a result, the UK closed the embassy and ordered the Iranian embassy in London to be closed. Diplomatic relations were never entirely severed but instead reduced to the lowest level possible.

On Monday Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, said: “This is an important moment in the relationship between the UK and Iran. The upgrade in diplomatic relations gives us the opportunity to develop our discussions on a range of issues, including our consular cases about which I am deeply concerned, and which I have raised with foreign minister [Javad] Zarif.”

He added: “I hope this will mark the start of more productive cooperation between our countries, enabling us to discuss more directly issues such as human rights and Iran’s role in the region, as well as ongoing implementation of the nuclear deal and the expansion of the trading relationship between both our countries.”

UK sources said the upgrade in diplomatic relations did not mean the UK would abandon lobbying on behalf of the detained British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian charity worker who has been held in Iran on unspecified charges since April. Photograph: PA

In August the prime minister, Theresa May, raised her concerns about Zaghari-Ratcliffe in a phone call to the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani.

The 37-year-old charity worker, from north London, is facing trial on as yet unspecified charges. The charges have been described as absurd and have led to her being held in solitary confinement.



She was arrested while she was at an airport with her two-year-old daughter, Gabriella, after visiting her family on holiday. Her daughter is staying with relations in Tehran.



Iranian officials have previously accused Zaghari-Ratcliffe of leading a “foreign-linked hostile network”.

The Iranians do not recognise dual nationality and on these grounds refuse to grant the UK consular access to Zaghari-Ratcliffe.