IFP Exclusive

UK Ambassador Leaves Iran after Controversies: Report

British Ambassador to Tehran Rob Macaire has reportedly left Iran after harsh criticisms of his controversial attendance in an “illegal” protest rally in Tehran.

Iranian media reported on Wednesday that Macaire has left the country with prior notification. However, the UK Foreign Office later said the ambassador will return to Iran after consultations in London.

Earlier, Prosecutor General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri had urged the Iranian government to expel the British Ambassador “as soon as possible,” describing the envoy as “a law-breaking person.”

Montazeri said in a speech on Tuesday that “the disgraceful presence shows that such illegal events and rallies are organized by foreign elements, whether they are American or British.”

The remarks were part of the criticisms that came after Macaire attended a gathering on Sunday, which was initially aimed at commemorating those killed in the Ukrainian plane crash, but then turned into a protest rally. The UK ambassador claims he left the gathering once the people started chanting slogans, but a video released by the Iranian police proves him wrong.

The ambassador was briefly arrested for attending the illegal rallies, but was released 15 minutes later, after the Foreign Ministry recognized his identity.

“The presence of an ambassador in an illegal gathering of a bunch of norm-breakers is by no means acceptable to us and the action is prosecutable… In our view it is also internationally prosecutable that an ambassador attends an illegal rally without permission and then comes up with the excuse that he had intended to express sympathy with those killed in the plane crash. This is an unacceptable lie,” said the Prosecutor-General.

IFP Editorial Staff

The IFP Editorial Staff is composed of dozens of skilled journalists, news-writers, and analysts whose works are edited and published by experienced editors specialized in Iran News. The editor of each IFP Service is responsible for the report published by the Iran Front Page (IFP) news website, and can be contacted through the ways mentioned in the "IFP Editorial Staff" section.

Recent Posts

Iran’s Lake Urmia sees significant improvement amidst restoration efforts

An Iranian official reports that the shrinking Lake Urmia is in better condition than last…

37 mins ago

Four terrorists killed during clash with IRGC forces in Iran’s southeast

Iranian security forces have killed another four terrorists in the southeastern city of Rask in…

2 hours ago

Former Parliament chief: Iran should not tie affairs to Trump

The former speaker of the Iranian Parliament and a current member of the country's Expediency…

3 hours ago

IRGC chief commander: Resistance grandeur led to changes in US leadership

The commander-in-chief of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) says that the power of Palestinian…

3 hours ago

Iran signs key agreements during communications minister’s visit to Cuba, Venezuela

Iran’s Minister of Communications Sattar Hashemi has recently concluded a "productive" six-day trip to Cuba…

5 hours ago

Iran’s president says no matter who has won the US  vote

The Iranian President, in his first reaction to Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential…

6 hours ago