Obama condemns storming of British embassy in Iran
WASHINGTON—Declaring himself "deeply disturbed" by the storming of the British Embassy in Tehran, President Barack Obama strongly urged the Iranian government to hold those responsible to account.
"For rioters to essentially be able to overrun the embassy and set it on fire is an indication that the Iranian government is not taking its international obligations seriously," the president said.
Obama made his remarks at the beginning of an Oval Office meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
"That kind of behavior is unacceptable," Obama said, adding that the Iranian government has a responsibility to protect diplomatic outposts.
Hard-line Iranian students stormed the embassy in Tehran on Tuesday, bringing down the Union Jack flag, burning an embassy vehicle and throwing documents from windows in scenes reminiscent of the 1979 attack on the U.S. embassy there.
In a statement earlier, the White House urged Iran to condemn the incident, prosecute the offenders and ensure that no other incidents occur at either the British Embassy or any other mission in Iran.
The White House says the State Department is in close contact with the British government.
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