Political tensions continue to escalate regarding the situation in Iran, resulting in fears of a potential war breaking out. This time, a report has surfaced that Iran is now facing tensions with the United Kingdom as Prime Minister Boris Johnson criticizes Tehran for the arrest of the British ambassador.
Express reports that Johnson has now summoned the Iranian ambassador to the United Kingdom as a response to the arrest of the British ambassador Rob Macaire in Tehran. Macaire was arrested and detained for a short time after attending a vigil commemorating the 176 victims of the plane the Iranian military shot down. Macaire left the vigil when the service turned into a protest but was arrested by officials who suspected him of initiating the demonstrations. Macaire was referred to as an “unknown foreigner in an illegal gathering” and the foreign ministry of Iran stated that the ambassador was “reminded” that showing up at “illegal gatherings” was a breach of the agreement in the Vienna Conventions on diplomatic relations.
The Vienna Conventions state that diplomats cannot be detained.
Macaire denied the accusations and explained that he attended the event when it was advertised as a vigil for the victims of the crash. Johnson’s spokesman then stated that the arrest and detainment were unacceptable and was a breach of the Vienna Conventions as well as warrants the need for an investigation. “We are seeking full assurances from the Iranian government that this will never happen again,” said the spokesperson.
However, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani reportedly criticized the European Union for not acting independently. Rouhani has also warned that the European soldiers may not be safe in the future.
As the European Union is also now in conflict with Iran and its government, Rouhani stated that the troops from both the EU and the United States may not be safe. Rouhani demanded that the EU apologize for their failure to stick to their promises. Rouhani also held the United States responsible for causing unrest in the Middle East and that they should apologize to Tehran for their supposed crimes.
This conflict with Iran started in 2015 over the nuclear deal. The leaders in the EU feared that Iran is now committing to their agreements regarding the country’s use of nuclear weapons.