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12 Aug 2021, 09:35Updated at: 12 Aug 2021, 09:59

Russian envoy invited to Iranian Foreign Ministry over photo in front of embassy building

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif earlier described the photo of the Russian and British envoys in front of the Russian embassy building as inappropriate. "Need I remind all that August 2021 is neither August 1941 nor December 1943," he wrote on Twitter

TEHRAN, August 12. /TASS/. Russian Ambassador to Iran Levan Dzhagaryan has been invited to the Iranian Foreign Ministry over his photo with British Ambassador Simon Shercliff in front of the embassy building in Tehran, the Russian embassy said in a statement.

According to the embassy, "Russian Ambassador to Iran Levan Dzhagaryan has been invited to the Iranian Foreign Ministry due to the mixed reactions from the Iranian public" to a photo of Dzhagaryan and Shercliff in front of the Russian embassy building, posted by the Russian diplomatic mission.

The embassy added that the meeting "took place in a friendly atmosphere and the Iranian side was provided with all the necessary clarifications, which have already been posted on the embassy’s social media accounts." "The ambassador expressed regret over the misunderstanding," the statement said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif earlier described the photo of the Russian and British envoys in front of the Russian embassy building as inappropriate. "Need I remind all that August 2021 is neither August 1941 nor December 1943," he wrote on Twitter.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, in turn, called on both envoys to formally apologize for the photo.

Iran during World War II

The Soviet Union and the United Kingdom launched their joint Operation Countenance in August 1941, taking control of Iran’s territory. December 1, 1943, marked the end of the Tehran Conference that involved the leaders of the Soviet Union, the United States and the United Kingdom - Joseph Stalin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. The event took place at the Soviet embassy.

According to Tehran, Iran was neutral in World War II and was embroiled in military actions because of Operation Countenance. As a result, Tehran lost its independence for the duration of the military activities after the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom shared control of the country’s security situation.

On August 11, the Russian embassy posted a photo taken during a meeting between the Russian and British ambassadors, which showed the two sitting in front of the building that had hosted the Tehran Conference.

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