Britain deepened Irans international isolation Wednesday by closing the vandalised British embassy in Tehran,withdrawing all its diplomats and ordering the Iranians to do the same at their London diplomatic mission within 48 hours,escalating the most serious rupture of relations in decades. The measures were announced in Parliament by Foreign Secretary William Hague a day after Iranian protesters shouting Death to England stormed the British Embassy compound and a diplomatic residence in Tehran,tearing down the British flag,smashing windows,defacing walls,setting a vehicle afire and briefly detaining six staff members. The attack was the most serious diplomatic breach since the traumatic assault on the American Embassy after Irans Islamic Revolution in 1979. Hague announced Britains formal response in Parliament,saying the British embassy had been closed and all British diplomats had now left Iran. He also said: We require the immediate closure of the Iranian embassy in London and all staff must leave in the next 48 hours. Britain has said that the storming of the British diplomatic mission in Tehran Tuesday could not have taken place without some degree of consent from Iranian authorities. The British measures intensified the Western ostracism of Iran but Hague said they did not represent a complete rupture of diplomatic relations,which were now,he said,at their lowest level. Iran said Britains decision to close the Iranian embassy in London Wednesday was hasty and that it would lead to further retaliation,state TV reported,quoting a government spokesman. The foreign ministry spokesman . described the move as . hasty and added that naturally the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran would take further appropriate action regarding the issue, the news reporter said. According to the British Foreign Offices Diplomatic List,Iran has 17 diplomats accredited in Britain. Their expulsion intensified a dispute that has sharpened radically in the past week since Britain joined the US and the European Union in imposing punitive new sanctions against Iran. There were suggestions Wednesday that Britain would support an embargo on Iranian oil imports following the deterioration of relations between the two nations. Germany recalls envoyBerlin: Germany said Wednesday it had recalled its ambassador to Iran after an attack on the British diplomatic mission in Tehran. The current ambassador to Iran is Bernd Ebel. The German Foreign Ministry said it had urged Tehran to protect foreign facilities. Norway closes embassyOslo: A government official said Norway closed its embassy in Tehran due to security concerns. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hilde Steinfeld said the decision to close the embassy was taken late Tuesday,but said Norways diplomatic staff have not been evacuated from the country. France recalls ambassadorParis: France said Wednesday it was recalling its ambassador from Iran for consultations a day after protesters stormed the British embassy in Tehran. It cited the the flagrant and unacceptable violation of the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations as the reason for its decision. Italy mulls closing missionRome: Italy is considering closing its embassy in Tehran and will summon the Iranian ambassador to ask for guarantees for the safety of the countrys diplomats,Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi said on Wednesday.
