'Death to England!' Iranian students storm British Embassy in Tehran

"The sanctions were imposed after the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors on November 18 passed a resolution against Iran's nuclear program based on the IAEA report which experts have dismissed as "unfounded, unbalanced and unprofessional."

'Death to England!' Iranian students storm British Embassy in Tehran

• Demonstrators clash with riot police before ransacking building
  
• Students chant 'death to England' as they burn the Union Jack
  

By GRAHAM SMITH

Last updated at 2:35 PM on 29th November 2011

Dozens of hard-line Iranian students have stormed the British Embassy in Tehran, pulling down and burning the Union Jack and throwing documents from windows.

The students clashed with anti-riot police and chanted 'the Embassy of Britain should be taken over' and 'death to England' as they stormed the building.

Today's incident comes two days after Iranian parliament approved a bill that reduces diplomatic relations with Britain following London's support of recently upgraded U.S. sanctions on Tehran.

Flash point: Iranian protesters burn the Union Jack outside the embassy in Tehran today

Breaking in: Dozens of protesters enter the gate of the British embassy in Tehran today, throwing rocks, petrol bombs and burning documents looted from offices

Their action followed the parliamentary vote yesterday to expel Britain's ambassador to Tehran in a new outbreak of hostility towards its old imperial foe.

'Death to England' was shouted by legislators as they approved a bill requiring reduced diplomatic relations due to London’s support of upgraded U.S. sanctions.

During an open session broadcast live by state radio, 171 out of 196 MPs present voted for in favour of the measure.

Unlike the U.S., which has had no ambassador in Iran since the 1979 hostage crisis, Britain has maintained full diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic.

However, Iranians have long been suspicious of the UK in large part due to Britain’s long-held influence on its rulers and economy prior to the Islamic revolution.

Protesters break into the British embassy and tear down the Union Jack. Some then proceeded to ransack offices

Up in smoke: Protesters inside the British embassy compound watch as an embassy car burns

Britain's Foreign Office today said the decision to order the country's ambassador, Dominick John Chilcott, to leave Tehran was regrettable.

‘This unwarranted move will do nothing to help the regime address their growing isolation, or international concerns about their nuclear program and human rights record,’a spokesman said.

‘If the Iranian government acts on this, we will respond robustly in consultation with our international partners.’

Dressing down: A protester removes the coat of arms from the embassy building

Iranian riot police stand guard as protesters gather outside the British embassy in Tehran. A handful of demonstrators managed to break their rank

Shattered glass: Iranians have long been suspicious of the UK in large part due to Britain's long-held influence on its rulers and economy prior to the Islamic revolution

Read more:

Iranian students pull down UK flag

Tue Nov 29, 2011

Hundreds of Iranian students have pulled down the UK flag and demanded the expulsion of the British envoy to Tehran.

Following the approval of a bill aimed at downgrading ties with the UK by the Iran's Majlis parliament, students from different universities stormed into the British embassy in Tehran, calling on the Iranian government to make haste in implementing the bill.

The bill, which was also approved unanimously by Iran's Guardian Council (GC) on Monday, obliges the country's Foreign Ministry to expel Dominick John Chilcott within two weeks, thus reducing diplomatic ties with the UK government to the level of charge d'affaires.

The motion to downgrade ties with London was first presented to the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee in 2009, following the UK's interference in post-election unrests in Iran.

The bill was revived in response to Britain's hostile approach towards Iran and the sanctions imposed by London against the country's banking system and energy sector in coordination with the US and Canada over Tehran's nuclear program.

The sanctions were imposed after the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors on November 18 passed a resolution against Iran's nuclear program based on the IAEA report which experts have dismissed as "unfounded, unbalanced and unprofessional.”