British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the arrest of Britain’s ambassador to Tehran Rob Macaire, a spokesman from Johnson’s office said in a statement issued after the two leaders spoke yesterday.
“On Iran, they discussed the tragic loss of life on the Ukraine International Airlines passenger jet. They condemned Iran’s arrest of the UK Ambassador to Tehran as a violation of international law,” the spokesman said.
“The leaders also discussed our shared interests in ensuring Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon, and reaffirmed their continued commitment to preserving the JCPOA (Iran nuclear deal).”
Britain’s ambassador in Iran had been summoned to explain his “illegal and inappropriate presence” at an anti-government protest, the Iranian foreign ministry said.
However, Mr Macaire denied he had been taking part in the demonstrations. He said he been attending a vigil for victims of Flight PS752, when protests broke out and he left.
“Can confirm I wasn’t taking part in any demonstrations! Went to an event advertised as a vigil for victims of PS752 tragedy,” he tweeted.
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