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Iran-British Tension Over Jewish Ambassador
LONDON, Jan. 10 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The British ministry of foreign affairs announced that negotiations were still underway with the Iranian government to approve the appointment of the new British ambassador to Tehran following news that Iran has rejected this appointment because the candidate is of Jewish origin, the London-based paper, Al Hayat, reported Thursday.
The ambassador, who was the cause of this rift between both countries, was an employee in the British Foreign Intelligence known as the MI6.
Despite reports from Tehran that the ambassador is David Redway, the British foreign ministry refused to confirm the name until it receives approval from Iran.
British sources denied reports that it was going to limit relations with Iran because of this issue.
The British newspaper, The Times, reported Wednesday that London was going to limit relations with Tehran if it refused the appointment of
Redway.
According to The Times, Iran disagreed with the fact that Redway is married to an Iranian woman whose American mother raises horses in Iran. Tehran disapproves of the fact that Redway held two previous posts in Iran from 1990-1993 because “ it means he has broad knowledge of Iran”.
The Iranian newspaper, Gomhur Islami, is the source of the current fuss over the Jewish ambassador. The paper published an article accusing Redway of being a Jew who worked for the British Foreign Intelligence.
According to The Times, the issue was covered extensively in Israel in its recent campaign against Iran.
Hardline Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, called Iran the “center of world terror'' and said Tuesday a recently captured arms shipment showed that Iran and the Palestinians were collaborating to strike at Israel, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
Iran has denied involvement with the weapons shipment. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hamid Reza Asefi, speaking Monday on Iranian television, said Israel was making the allegations to “intensify a crackdown on the Palestinian Intifada.”
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