Iran arrests British embassy employees

IRANIAN authorities have detained several local employees of the British embassy in Tehran, a move that Britain’s foreign secretary yesterday called “harassment and intimidation” and reflected a hardening of the regime’s stance toward the West. The European Union condemned the arrests.

Iranian media said eight local embassy staff were detained for an alleged role in post-election protests. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said “about nine” employees were detained on Saturday and that four had been released.

EU foreign ministers meeting in Corfu, Greece, issued a statement yesterday condemning the arrests and calling for the immediate release of all those still detained. The bloc also denounced Iran’s continuing restrictions on journalists.