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Iran safest country for diplomats: ambassador

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Dec 6, IRNA -- Iran is safest country for foreign diplomats, Ali-Reza Salari, Iranian ambassador in Bern said Monday.

He made the remarks in an interview with Blake Weekly published in Switzerland.

Salari pointed to the repeated attacks to Iranian embassy in Switzerland as well the murder of Iranian diplomats in other countries like UK, Iraq under the occupation of US, Afghanistan and Pakistan, adding, 'Who can name a foreign diplomat who has been injured in Iran?'

'The Iranian diplomats in Iraq were taken hostage by US for two years,' said the diplomat.

He also expressed regret for the recent occupation of the UK embassy in Tehran and thanked Iranian police immediate action in control and arrest of the occupiers.

'Western fears of Iran's peaceful nuclear program is baseless; arrogant powers should not suppose thay are superiors compared to the others and recognize the right of the Iranians to use the nuclear energy for peaceful purposes,' the Iranian ambassador to Bern stated.

A week ago, the Iranian parliament voted to expel Britain’s Ambassador Dominick Chilcott, in response to economic sanctions over Iran’s nuclear program. Two days later, on Nov. 29, the two British Embassy compounds in Tehran were besieged by Iranian students.

Iran's Foreign Ministry expressed 'regret' immediately after the violence.

Provisional Friday prayers leader of Tehran Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami called the assaults and occupation of any embassy 'illegal' and tantamount to invading another country.

However, Ayatollah Khatami instructed the worshippers to add 'Death to Britain' to their cycle of 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel' chants, and warned other Western countries not to join Britain in retaliating -- 'or else our nation's hatred toward Britain will also befall them.'

Parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani said the embassy assault was an understandable outpouring of anger at decades of 'domineering policy' by Britain.

Another senior cleric, Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi said it was possible that 'elements' had infiltrated the protesters to prompt the backlash against Iran.

A deputy foreign minister in charge of consular affairs, Hassan Ghashghavi, told the state-run Jam-e Jam satellite channel 'the future is unclear' for bilateral relations with Britain, even though ties have not been completely severed.

He called London's reaction 'irresponsible' because it would adversely affect the estimated 200,000-300,000 Iranians residing in Britain.

'This should be reviewed from the point of view of human rights. How could they leave passports hanging in their embassy here and ours there?' Ghashghavi asked.

Iranians hate the UK because of its historical interferences in Iran's internal politics and its negative impact in Tehran progresses forward.

Britain helped the Americans overthrow the democratically elected government of Mohammed Mossadegh in 1953 after he nationalized Britain’s oil possessions in the country.

The mass of US secret documents found after the American Embassy was shut down following the Iranian Islamic Revolution proved to the Iranians that not only Washington attempted to subvert the new order of Ayatollah Khomeini (P) but the continued partnership of the American and British intelligence services.

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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 30698727