According to Khabar Online correspondent, Mehmanparast who attended a welcoming ceremony held in Tehran's Mehrabad airport early Saturday for the Iranian diplomats expelled by the British government said: "The flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran is still waving in our embassy in London."
Immediately after returning to the country, Eslami, Iranian charge d'affaires to the UK also told the reporters: "Despite all pressures, our diplomatic staff left London with an official send-off by the British government. Ultimately we departed the UK with respect and honor."
According to Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA), regarding resumption of ties between Iran and the UK, Mehmanparast also said, "Iran is ready for relations with all countries if they respect the country's sovereignty and secure its national interests."
Noting that Iran and the UK diplomatic relations has not been severed, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said: ""British officials felt humiliation after Iranian Parliament passed a bill to downgrade relations with them, so they took a hasty measure to overshadow the bill."
"They want to represent Iran as a threat. They claim that Iran is the element of instability and insecurity in the region. They accuse Iran of terrorist actions," he stated.
Mehmanparast went on to say: "They prepared the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Chief on Iranian nuclear issue in such a way which raises concerns over Iranian nuclear issue. They are seeking discord between us and other regional countries."
After the British government imposed new economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran including on the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) and its petrochemical industry, a majority of 179 Iranian lawmakers voted a week ago for expelling the British ambassador to Tehran, reducing the level of ties to charge d'affaires and limiting economic and cultural ties with that country.
On Tuesday, a group of Basij students entered to two compounds of the British Embassy in Tehran to condemn measures taken by UK against the Islamic Republic. Later the British government ordered its diplomatic staff to leave Iran and gave a 48-hour deadline to the Iranian embassy staffs to leave the country by Friday afternoon.
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