British embassy to open in Iran

British Foreign Secretary Hague made the announcement in a written statement to Parliament on Tuesday, in which he cautioned that "a range of practical issues" would have to be resolved before the embassy could resume full operations.

"Inevitably, the initial embassy presence will only able to offer a limited range of services at first," he said.

"Iran is an important country in a volatile region, and maintaining embassies around the world, even under difficult conditions, is a central pillar of the UK's global diplomatic approach," he added.

Hague said he had discussed the matter with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday.

Britain shut down its embassy in Tehran after it was attacked by an angry mob in 2011.

Thaw in relations

However, since President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate conservative, succeeded hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last year, relations between the two countries have thawed. In November, Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany reached an interim deal over Tehran's contested nuclear program. At the same time the UK resumed diplomatic relations and appointed a non-resident charge d'affairs.

The move comes as the West steps up its engagement with Iran amid a rapid offensive by Sunni Muslim insurgents in neighboring Iraq. Iran has said it is ready to provide "assistance within international law," to Baghdad.

The United States, a close ally of Britain, has said it could act jointly with its longtime enemy Iran to support the Iraqi government in its fight against the militants.

hc/pfd (AFP, AP, dpa)