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Iran attack on UK embassy: 5 high profile embassy breaches
When public opinion in other countries turns on the West, the ire is often poured on the most visible representative of the West overseas – foreign embassies. The best-known example of what happens when hostility reaches a breaking point is the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979, but numerous embassies have been stormed since then, including the Nov. 29 attack on the British Embassy in Tehran. Here are five high profile attacks:
Iranian protesters break the windows of a British Embassy building, in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011.
(Vahid Salemi/AP)
1. Iranian students storm British Embassy in Tehran (Nov. 29, 2011)
Iranian protesters forced their way into the British embassy two days after the Iranian parliament voted to expel the British ambassador to Iran in response to economic sanctions imposed by Britain.
Thousands more protesters gathered outside. The protests began with groups of students chanting “Death to England” outside the embassy. They later stormed the building and set the British flag on fire, according to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency.
There has so far been no news of deaths or hostages, Guardian reports.
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