Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has condemned the violent raid on Britain's embassy in Iran. Anti-western protesters including members of the paramilitary basij brigades under the control of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, are reported to have stormed the embassy and another diplomatic compounds in the Iranian capital Tehran. The crowd of protesters stripped the UK crest off the embassy, pulled down the union flag to replace it with the Iranian flag, and threw satellite dishes off the roofs of embassy buildings. Windows were smashed and the British, US and Israeli flags were burned. The incident has added to the already tenuous relationship between the Iranian government and the west. In accordance with the Vienna Convention, Iran has the responsibility to protect all diplomatic missions and personnel from harm. “I urge the Iranian government to take immediate steps to ensure the safety of the British embassy and all other diplomatic missions in Tehran,” said Rudd in a statement. “I call on Iran to ensure it fulfils its international obligations by preventing any such future incidents, including by investigating the attacks of November 29 and prosecuting those responsible.” The British Foreign Office has confirmed that some of its staff will be leaving Iran. BM
