Iran Summons Russian Ambassador to Protest Controversial Photo

In the meeting, the Russian diplomat said by posting the photo, he only aimed to recall the union between Russia and Britain against Germany’s Nazi army during World War II, and that there had been no anti-Iran motive behind the posting of that photo.

The Russian ambassador highlighted Tehran-Moscow strategic relations as well as deep-rooted and cordial ties between the two sides, expressing regret that the photo had caused

misunderstanding and dismayed the people of Iran.

In turn, the Iranian foreign minister’s assistant and the director general of the Foreign Ministry’s Eurasia Department highlighted the friendly relations between the two countries, and recalled that the posting of such a picture, even if with the same intention that the Russian ambassador had explained, was unacceptable.

The Iranian diplomat underscored that ambassadors should pay due regard to the historical, political and cultural considerations of the host country.

In the meeting, it was also emphasised that the great Iranian people had, over the past 42 years, proven that they would seriously safeguard the independence that they have secured through sacrifices and historical resistance, and would, as a mighty nation, establish a relationship with other countries based on national dignity.

In a tweet, the Russian embassy in Tehran posted a photo which is a reconstructed picture of the embassy during the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran in the 1940s.

the controversial photo posted by the Russian embassy is accompanied by a controversial description.

“[Russian Ambassador to Tehran] Levan Dzhagaryan’s meeting with the new head of the British diplomatic mission in Iran Simon Shercliff on the historical stair, where the 1943 Tehran conference was held,” reads the description of the photo.

Next to the mentioned photo is posted another picture showing former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, former US President Franklin Roosevelt and ex-leader of the Soviet Union Joseph Stalinis sitting next to each other in the same exact place in the Russian embassy.