Iran’s man in Ireland led fight against Rushdie award

IRAN’S new ambassador to Ireland led his country’s charge against Britain’s decision to grant author Salman Rushdie a knighthood earlier this year.

When it was announced in June that Mr Rushdie was among the Queen’s “birthday honours” list, the British ambassador in Tehran Geoffrey Adams was summoned to a meeting at the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Delivering the dressing-down to Mr Adams was Ebrahim Rahimpour, who yesterday presented his credentials to President Mary McAleese as Iran’s new ambassador to Ireland.