2011 attack on the British Embassy in Iran
| 2011 attack on the British Embassy in Tehran | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Protestors storming the walls | |||
| Date | 29 November 2011 | ||
| Location | Jomhouri, Tehran, Iran 35°41′47″N 51°25′09″E / 35.69639°N 51.41917°E | ||
| Methods | Demonstrations, rioting, online activism, infiltration | ||
| Number | |||
| |||
| Casualties | |||
| Injuries | ~20 Iranian protesters ~3 British officials | ||
| Arrested | 12 Iranian protesters | ||
On 29 November, 2011, a crowd of Iranian protesters gathered outside the British Embassy in the central Jomhouri district of Tehran before a faction of hardline students and demonstrators stormed the compound and a separate British diplomatic site in northern Tehran known as Gholhak Garden.
The attack came several days after Iran's parliament voted to downgrade diplomatic ties with the UK in retaliation for Britain's role in pushing stringent new financial sanctions targeting the Central Bank of Iran and broader economy, measures tied directly to an International Atomic Energy Agency report highlighting evidence of weaponization in Iran's nuclear program, which had inflamed longstanding anti-Western sentiments and accusations of colonial interference. What began as a sanctioned rally demanding the expulsion of the British ambassador quickly escalated as protesters breached the embassy walls, chanted slogans like "Death to England," "Death to America," and "Death to Israel," ripped down the Union Jack, and ransacked offices.
The event shocked the international community, evoked memories of the 1979 U.S. embassy hostage crisis, and prompted swift condemnation from Tehran while raising suspicions of tacit official approval given the delayed police response.