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by Marc Burleigh

TEHRAN — Britain closed its Tehran embassy on Wednesday after evacuating all its diplomats from Iran as part of a “very tough” response to the storming of the mission the day before by Iranian protesters.

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Foreign Secretary William Hague said Britain had also ordered Iran to vacate its embassy in London by Friday, stressing it did not mean diplomatic ties between the two countries had been entirely cut off.

The pull-out of all British embassy staff from Iran to Dubai in the neighbouring United Arab Emirates was completed by late Wednesday, Western diplomats told AFP.

Britain’s moves followed violent scenes Tuesday, when protesters rampaged for hours through its two diplomatic compounds in Tehran.

They tore down the British flag, smashed windows, trashed embassy offices, set documents alight, and briefly blocked the movements of six British diplomats. No British personnel were hurt, having taken refuge in secure areas.