Outrage at arrests of UK staff in Iran
Updated on 28 June 2009
EU foreign ministers unanimously back Foreign Secretary David Miliband and condemned the arrest of a number Iranian staff working at the British Embassy in Tehran. Roz Upton reports.
In a joint statement the EU ministers demanded their immediate release and said "harrassment and intimidation" of local employees would be met with "a strong and collective reponse".
Earlier, Mr Miliband called for their immediate release, saying Iran's action was "harassment and intimidation of a kind which is quite unacceptable".
Iran has accused the staff of involvement in the recent protests, but Mr Miliband rejected that as "wholly without foundation".
The arrests will further strain ties between London and Tehran, who have already expelled two of each other's diplomats.
