British embassy in Iran to re-open amid Iraq crisis
Shared interest in confronting Isis militants warms diplomatic relations between West and Iran

Foreign Secretary William Hague has said the British embassy in Iran will re-open for the first time in three years.
The embassy, based in the capital city of Tehran, was closed after hundreds of protesters stormed the building in 2011. Diplomats working at the Iranian embassy in London were subsequently expelled.
Hague told MPs this morning that "the circumstances were right" for the embassy in Tehran to open its doors again.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"In a written statement, Mr Hague said the UK embassy will re-open 'as soon as practical arrangements are made' as a sign of 'increasing confidence' in the state of relations between the two countries," the BBC reported.
The election of a new Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, and an interim deal over Iran's nuclear programme has since warmed diplomatic relations. In October, both countries appointed a non-resident "charge d’affaires" to work towards reopening the embassies.
Now the two countries have been pushed together by the crisis in Iraq, says the Financial Times. Contact between the West and Iran has gathered pace through their shared interest in confronting militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis), with Hague reportedly speaking to Iran's foreign minister over the weekend.
Jack Straw, former Labour foreign secretary, told the FT: "The crisis in Iraq underlines the need for us to build up relations with the government of Iran as quickly as possible. They were a reliable ally with respect to Afghanistan and it happens that their interest in promoting a stable Iraq coincides with ours."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Around 400 British nationals or citizens with links to the UK are believed to be fighting in Syria and Hague believes some are "inevitably" fighting in Iraq.
No 10 Downing Street officials have confirmed that Britain has offered "counter-terrorism advice" to Baghdad and would offer assistance if the US decided to take any action in Iraq. However, they have ruled out sending military support to the Iraqi regime.
-
Job hugging: the growing trend of clinging to your job
In the Spotlight People are staying in their jobs longer than ever
-
NASA reveals ‘clearest sign of life’ on Mars yet
Speed Read The evidence came in the form of a rock sample collected on the planet
-
Former top FBI agents sue, claiming Trump purge
Speed Read The agents alleged they were targeted by a “campaign of retribution”
-
'Axis of upheaval': will China summit cement new world order?
Today's Big Question Xi calls on anti-US alliance to cooperate in new China-led global system – but fault lines remain
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
Iran still has enriched uranium, Israeli official says
Speed Read It remains unclear how long it would take Iran to rebuild its nuclear program following US and Israeli attacks
-
IAEA: Iran could enrich uranium 'within months'
Speed Read The chief United Nations nuclear inspector, Rafael Grossi, says Iran could be enriching uranium again soon
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
Iran nukes program set back months, early intel suggests
Speed Read A Pentagon assessment says US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites only set the program back by months, not years. This contradicts President Donald Trump's claim.
-
Trump says Iran and Israel agreed to ceasefire
Speed Read This followed a night of Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and multiple waves of missiles fired by Iran