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From the Iranian Embassy Siege to Becoming an Interests Section

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British Diplomacy and the Iranian Revolution, 1978-1981

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Abstract

Ali examines the dramatic change in Anglo-Iranian relations, from the siege on the Iranian embassy in London in early May 1980 to the decision by Britain in early September 1980 to close its embassy in Iran and operate as an interests section, with Sweden acting as a protecting power. The departure of Sir John Graham with no direct replacement put in place is also detailed by Ali in addition to the frustrations of embassy staff in Tehran and the collective reaction of EC states to the hostage crisis following the Naples summit. The challenges presented by the Iranian mission in Britain and the detention of British citizens are also scrutinised by Ali.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    FCO8/3644, Reddaway to Lamport (28 July 1980).

  2. 2.

    FCO8/3660, TELNO270 (30 April 1980).

  3. 3.

    FCO8/3658, TELNO455 (1 May 1980).

  4. 4.

    PREM19/277, TELNO456 (2 May 1980).

  5. 5.

    Hughes, Michael, Inside the Enigma: British Officials in Russia 1900–1939 (London, 1997), 122.

  6. 6.

    PREM19/277, Bani Sadr to Thatcher (12 May 1980).

  7. 7.

    FCO8/3661, Miers to Moberly (6 May 1980).

  8. 8.

    FCO8/3661, Minute by Humfrey (6 May 1980).

  9. 9.

    PREM19/277, Walden to PM’s Private Secretary (21 May 1980).

  10. 10.

    FCO8/3660, TELNO479 (12 May 1980).

  11. 11.

    PREM19/277, Minutes of Meeting held between PM, Ian Gilmour, Douglas Hurd and Tom Tenchard (22 May 1980).

  12. 12.

    PREM19/277, TELNO484 (13 May 1980).

  13. 13.

    PREM19/277, TELNO439 (14 May 1980).

  14. 14.

    Lieber, Robert, ‘The European Community and the Middle East’, in Legum, Colin (ed.), Crises and Conflicts in the Middle East—The Changing Strategy: From Iran to Afghanistan (New York, 1981), 192.

  15. 15.

    PREM19/277, TELNO518 (22 May 1980).

  16. 16.

    PREM19/277, TELNO306 (22 May 1980).

  17. 17.

    PREM19/496, TELNO534 (29 May 1980).

  18. 18.

    FCO8/3578, Iran: Valedictory Despatch by Sir John Graham (4 June 1980).

  19. 19.

    PREM19/496, TELNO556 (5 June 1980).

  20. 20.

    FCO8/3595, Letter by Dr Ali Afrouz (17 June 1980).

  21. 21.

    FCO8/3579, TELNO345 (19 June 1980).

  22. 22.

    FCO8/3661, Miers to Williams and Lamport (20 June 1980).

  23. 23.

    FCO8/3658, Reddaway to Lamport (23 June 1980).

  24. 24.

    FCO8/3571, TELNO613 (26 June 1980).

  25. 25.

    FCO8/3571, Wyatt to Miers (3 July 1980).

  26. 26.

    FCO8/3644, Lever to Alexander (4 July 1980).

  27. 27.

    PREM19/496, TELNO643 (9 July 1980).

  28. 28.

    FCO8/3571, ‘Notes on Iran: June 1980’, by Rundle (8 July 1980).

  29. 29.

    FCO8/3571, Wyatt to Miers (13 July 1980).

  30. 30.

    Senn, Alfred, Diplomacy and Revolution: The Soviet Mission to Switzerland—1918 (London, 1974), 11.

  31. 31.

    Frey, Linda, and Frey, Marsha, “The Reign of the Charlatans Is Over”: The French Revolutionary Attack on Diplomatic Practice in The Journal of Modern History, Vol. 65, No. 4 (December 1993), 725.

  32. 32.

    FCO8/3661, Miers to Moberly (18 July 1980).

  33. 33.

    FCO8/3662, Diplomatic Personnel List for Iranian Embassy (28 July 1980).

  34. 34.

    FCO8/3661, du Boulay to Ehdaie (23 July 1980).

  35. 35.

    FCO8/3644 (27 July 1980).

  36. 36.

    PREM19/496, TELNO678 (4 August 1980).

  37. 37.

    PREM19/496, TELNO402 (7 August 1980).

  38. 38.

    PREM19/496, TELNO687 (6 August 1980).

  39. 39.

    PREM19/496, TELNO689 (7 August 1980).

  40. 40.

    PREM19/496, TELNO402 (7 August 1980).

  41. 41.

    FCO8/4098, TELNO695 (10 August 1980).

  42. 42.

    PREM19/496, TELNO696 (10 August 1980).

  43. 43.

    FCO8/3572, TELNO701 (11 August 1980).

  44. 44.

    Calvert, Peter, Revolution and International Politics (London, 1984), 128.

  45. 45.

    Miller, Melanie Randolph, Envoy to the Terror: Gouverneur Morris & the French Revolution (Dulles, Virginia, 2005), 167.

  46. 46.

    Hughes, Inside the Enigma, 122.

  47. 47.

    FCO8/3658, Reddaway to Lamport (13 August 1980; received 18 August 1980).

  48. 48.

    FCO8/3658, Lamport to Beckett, Miers and Graham (1 September 1980).

  49. 49.

    FCO8/3658, Beckett to Miers and Graham (2 September 1980).

  50. 50.

    FCO8/3658, Note by HDAC Miers (3 September 1980).

  51. 51.

    FCO8/3658, TELNO388 (13 August 1980).

  52. 52.

    FCO8/4098, TELNO714 (15 August 1980).

  53. 53.

    FCO8/4098, TELNO424 (15 August 1980).

  54. 54.

    FCO8/4098, TELNO718 (16 August 1980).

  55. 55.

    PREM19/496, TELNO733 (19 August 1980).

  56. 56.

    PREM19/496, TELNO746 (22 August 1980).

  57. 57.

    PREM19/496, Graham to Carrington (22 August 1980).

  58. 58.

    FCO8/3639, Beckett to Graham (22 August 1980).

  59. 59.

    PREM19/496, TELNO441 (22 August 1980).

  60. 60.

    PREM19/496, TELNO441 (25 August 1980).

  61. 61.

    PREM19/496, TELNO756 (25 August 1980).

  62. 62.

    FCO8/3658, Lamport to Graham (28 August 1980).

  63. 63.

    PREM19/496, TELNO450 (28 August 1980).

  64. 64.

    PREM19/496, TELNO773 (28 August 1980).

  65. 65.

    PREM19/496, Iranian Students: Situation Report (29 August 1980).

  66. 66.

    PREM19/496, TELNO453 (29 August 1980).

  67. 67.

    PREM19/496, TELNO776 (1 September 1980).

  68. 68.

    FCO8/3658, TELNO466 (5 September 1980).

  69. 69.

    FCO8/3658, TELNO468 (5 September 1980).

  70. 70.

    FCO8/3658, TELNO164 (5 September 1980).

  71. 71.

    Roberts, Ivor (ed.), Satow’s Guide to Diplomatic Practice (6th ed.) (Oxford, 2009), 215.

  72. 72.

    Trevelyan, Humphrey, Diplomatic Channels (London, 1973), 18.

  73. 73.

    Ullman, Richard, Anglo-Soviet Relations, 1917–1921. Vol. 1, Intervention and the War (Princeton, 1961), 31.

  74. 74.

    Ibid., 32.

  75. 75.

    Young, John, Twentieth Century Diplomacy: A Case Study of British Practice, 1963–1976 (Cambridge, 2008), 223.

  76. 76.

    Ibid., 224.

  77. 77.

    Ibid., 224.

  78. 78.

    FCO8/3666, Beckett to Miers and Graham (5 September 1980).

  79. 79.

    FCO8/3658, TELNO794 (6 September 1980).

  80. 80.

    FCO8/3642, TELNO800 (7 September 1980).

  81. 81.

    PREM19/496, TELNO801 (7 September 1980).

  82. 82.

    PREM19/496, TELNO810 (8 September 1980).

  83. 83.

    FCO8/3659, TELNO804 (8 September 1980).

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  1. Independent Scholar, Leicester, UK

    Luman Ali

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Ali, L. (2018). From the Iranian Embassy Siege to Becoming an Interests Section. In: British Diplomacy and the Iranian Revolution, 1978-1981. Security, Conflict and Cooperation in the Contemporary World. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94406-7_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94406-7_9

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

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