But Iran now says that is not true—it was the British who requested the meeting!
The meeting June 14 is turning into a major embarrassment for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, which tried to keep the talks private. Many in the Majlis and among the revolutionary hawks are incensed that any Iranian official would have the nerve to sit down in private with perfidious Albion.
Many have also commented that such talks are impossible since diplomatic relations were severed last November after the British embassy was overrun by vandals.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry has been forced to point out that relations were never severed. Iran’s embassy in London was closed as was Britain’s embassy in Tehran. But London specifically stated at the time that relations had not been severed, a point Tehran preferred not to air publicly.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast said the British announcement of the talks in Kabul was “a departure from diplomatic norms.” Indeed, it would be if Iran had requested the talks be kept secret. But if Iran failed to make that request, London may just have enjoyed sticking a knife in the Islamic Republic’s side.
Mehman-Parast said the meeting was held “to determine how consular services should be provided to tens of thousands of Iranians living in Britain, to emphasize our country’s right to use nuclear energy … and to discuss developments in the region.”
But Mehman-Parast insisted Britain called for her meeting. He didn’t say why Britain would ask for a meeting to hear Iran say it has a legitimate right to use nuclear energy.
It appears nothing came of the meeting as there has been no announcement of any arrangements for handling consular affairs
Many media outlets in Iran have flayed the foreign minister for talking to the British.