Iran

British embassy staff arrested

Article published on the 2009-06-28 Latest update 2009-06-28 16:27 TU

Protesters in Japan gather at a rally in support of opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi in Tokyo on Sunday
(Photo: Reuters)

Iran has arrested eight local British embassy staff, a move that is expected to further aggravate tensions with the West over the post-election turmoil in the Islamic republic.

The latest backlash against what Iranian leaders have said is "foreign meddling" came as opposition leaders continued to defy the regime, rejecting a panel set up to hold a partial recount in the hotly-disupted presidential vote.

Iran has repeatedly accused Britain and the United States of stoking the unrest that swept the country after the 12 June election that returned Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power amid complaints the election was rigged.

Last week, Foreign Affairs Minister Manouchehr Mottaki warned that Iran may downgrade ties with Britain after the two governments expelled diplomats in a tit-for-tat move.

Iran has also expelled a British Radio News correspondent in Tehran and arrested a British-Greek journalist, and has also accused a number of other British passport-holders of involvement in riots.

The streets of Tehran appeared quiet on Sunday, with the authorities warning they would suppress any further protests over the vote that has triggered the worst unrest since the 1979 Islamic revolution.