Iran–United Kingdom relations

The US confiscated Iranian oil on a tanker at sea in recent days in a sanctions enforcement operation, three sources said, and days later Iran seized another oil-laden tanker in retaliation, according to a maritime security firm.

The vessel is managed by Greece-based Empire Navigation.

Iran's top leader will pardon 10,000 more prisoners in an apparent effort to combat the coronavirus, state TV reported on March 19.

Britain's ambassador to Iran is to return to the U.K. for a "long-planned visit," British authorities said.

"Ambassador Rob Macaire is returning to the U.K. today [Jan. 15] on a long-planned visit," the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said.

Britain said on July 11 that Iranian military vessels tried to "impede the passage" of a UK oil tanker but were warned off by a British warship in a dramatic escalation of tensions with Tehran in the Gulf.

Iran said on June 9 Europe was in no position to criticize Tehran for its military capabilities and it called on European leaders to normalize trade ties with the Islamic Republic despite U.S. sanctions, or face consequences.

An unidentified man threw a hand grenade at the US embassy in the Montenegrin capital Podgorica late on Wednesday night, before committing suicide using another explosive device.

The embassy was closed at the time of the attack and local media reported that no one else was hurt and that there was no significant damage to the embassy's compound.

Britain’s foreign secretary phoned his Iranian counterpart on Nov. 7 to express "his anxiety over the continued suffering" of a British-Iranian woman being held in Iran and set out plans to visit Tehran to discuss the case.

Declassified documents released last week shed light on the Central Intelligence Agency’s central role in the 1953 coup that brought down Iranian Prime Minister Muhammad Mossadegh, fueling a surge of nationalism which culminated in the 1979 Iranian Revolution and poisoning U.S.-Iran relations into the 21st century.

Opportunities for expanding gas and transport links between Iran and Europe were high on the agenda of Sunday's talks between Iran's President Hassan Rouhani and Bulgarian Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov in Tehran on Sunday.

The United States announced Aug. 24 it has "no intention" to reopen an embassy in Tehran, just one day after the United Kingdom reopened its diplomatic mission in the Iranian capital.