Britian, Iran: Ties strained, but in place

British Embassy in Tehran. Date unknown.

[TEHRAN BUREAU] Source: Asr Iran Instead of Ambassador Simon Glass, the British mission in Tehran sent its No. 2, Patrick Davies, to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's swearing-in ceremony yesterday, signaling London's ongoing concerns about the political climate in Iran.

The decision to send the deputy head of the mission to the ceremony instead of the ambassador indicates the UK's distress over the unrest in Iran since the election, but at the same time it shows that Britain insists on maintaining diplomatic ties with Tehran.

Britain was designated as the main culprit in the post-election demonstrations that followed Ahmadinejad's reelection in the June 12 vote.

A number of the British Embassy's local hires were detained on charges of breaching national security and inciting and instigating the unrest. The detainees were later released.

Britain has so far refrained from sending a congratulatory message to Ahmadinejad.
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