September 5, 2003	Friday	Rajab 7, 1424

LONDON, Sept 4: The British Foreign Office authorised on Thursday the voluntary departure of non-essential members of staff and dependants at the embassy in Tehran amid a souring of relations between Britain and Iran.

“Voluntary departure from the embassy of dependents and non-core members of staff has been authorised,” a Foreign Office statement said.

The British embassy in Tehran was shut indefinitely on Wednesday after shots were fired at the mission, just hours after Iran’s ambassador to Britain was recalled for consultations.

“We are not advising the British community to leave nor are we advising against non-essential travel to Iran as we believe the threat is against the embassy and not private individuals,” the Foreign Office said.

“This is a straight forward security measure. We are not downgrading diplomatic relations,” it added.

Ties have soured since the arrest in London last month of a former Iranian ambassador to Buenos Aires accused of a role in a 1994 bombing of a Jewish centre in Argentina that killed 85 people.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Thursday that London would continue its dialogue with the Iranian leadership, despite the souring of relations.

Blair also urged Iran to meet its international obligations on its nuclear activities, amid suggestions the government has a secret atomic weapons programme, and halt support for “terrorist” groups.—AFP