The British Foreign Office confirmed yesterday, Saturday, that the Iranian authorities had detained the British ambassador in Tehran, Rob Macer, for a short period, and condemned the move as "a flagrant violation of international law."
Earlier, Tasnim News Agency reported that Machir was arrested for several hours in front of Amir Kabir University for inciting anti-government protesters.
"The arrest of our ambassador in Tehran is without foundation or explanation for a flagrant violation of international law," British Foreign Secretary Dominic Rapp said in a statement.
He added, "The Iranian government is at a defining moment ... It can continue to put the outcast with all the political and economic isolation that entails, or take steps to stop the escalation of tension and pursue a diplomatic path in the future."
Iran witnessed anti-government protests in Tehran on Saturday, as protesters chanted slogans against the country's highest authorities after the Revolutionary Guards acknowledged the downing of the 176-passenger Ukrainian airliner, which killed all of its passengers.
For its part, the United States called on Iran to apologize for detaining the British ambassador.
US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortigas wrote on Twitter that the arrest "violates the Vienna Convention, which the regime has a bad history of violating."
"We call on the regime to formally apologize to the United Kingdom for violating its rights (the ambassador), and to respect the rights of all diplomats," she added.