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Iran govt. ordered to downgrade UK ties

29 November 2011 18:11 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Iran’s Majlis has ordered the government to put into effect a newly legislated rule that requires the executive body to reduce ties with Britain to a minimum level, APA reports quoting Press TV.

The legislation on the â€œreduction of diplomatic ties with the British kingdomâ€ was handed to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday afternoon, Fars News Agency reported.

Under Article One of Iran’s Civil Law, the president is required to hand down the legislation to relevant executive institutions within five days of receiving the law from the parliament.

On November 27, Iranian lawmakers voted by a large majority to downgrade diplomatic ties with the United Kingdom.

The bill, authored by head of the Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Alaeddin Boroujerdi, was approved by 179 MPs out of 206.

Under the legislation, the British ambassador to Iran has two weeks to leave Tehran while diplomatic relations would be reduced to a lower level.

The move came in response to the UK’s recent decision to impose sanctions on the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran, over the allegation that Tehran’s nuclear program may consist of a covert military agenda.

Iran says the British administration plays a destructive role in inciting unrest in Iran following the 2009 presidential elections with the help of its embassy in Tehran.

Also on Tuesday, hundreds of Iranian students entered the compound of the British embassy in Tehran and pulled down the UK flag and demanded the expulsion of the British envoy to Tehran.

Elsewhere, the police entered a second British diplomatic compound in northern Tehran after student protesters forced their way into the offices.

Police say all foreign nationals there are under protection of security forces and the situation is under control.