The UK has appointed an Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran for the first time since 2011. Nicholas Hopton, previously British Chargé d’affaires in Tehran, has been appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador. This comes a year after the reopening of the Embassy in Tehran, and marks an important step forward in the two countries’ diplomatic relations.
Speaking about the appointment, the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:
This is an important moment in the relationship between the UK and Iran.
The upgrade in diplomatic relations gives us the opportunity to develop our discussions on a range of issues, including our consular cases about which I am deeply concerned, and which I have raised with Foreign Minister Zarif.
I hope this will mark the start of more productive cooperation between our countries, enabling us to discuss more directly issues such as human rights and Iran’s role in the region, as well as ongoing implementation of the nuclear deal and the expansion of the trading relationship between both our countries.
Nicholas Hopton was previously Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Qatar from 2013 to 2015. He joined the FCO in 1989 and has also served as Ambassador to Yemen and at the British Embassies in Paris, Rome and Rabat.
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