Clinton condemns storming of British embassy in Tehran

PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday, November 30, demanded that Iran protect foreign diplomats as she strongly condemned the storming of the British embassy in Tehran, AFP reports.

Speaking to reporters at an aid conference in South Korea, Clinton said the United States condemned the attack on the embassy "in the strongest possible terms."

"It is an affront not only to the British people but also to the international community," Clinton said.

"We stand ready to help in any way that we can to make this point as strongly as possible that governments owe a duty to the diplomatic community to protect life and property and we expect the government of Iran to do so," she said.

In Washington, President Barack Obama also urged Iran to "hold those who are responsible to task."

Protesters stormed Britain's embassy and another diplomatic compound in Tehran on Tuesday, dramatically raising tensions with the West over Iran's nuclear program.

Young men chanting "Death to Britain" entered both properties, trashing offices, stealing documents and violently defying police efforts to remove them for several hours.

Six diplomats sequestered for more than two hours inside a building in Britain's diplomatic compound in the north of the capital by hundreds of protesters were finally freed when diplomatic police intervened.

Inside the embassy in the city centre, several protesters scattered documents and set them alight. One protester was seen looting a portrait of Britain's queen.

UK said it took the storming of its embassy "extremely seriously" and warned of "further and serious consequences" for Iran.