British Council suspends work in Iran

WATCH VIDEO

Source: CCTV.com | 02-08-2009 09:21

Iran said on Saturday that it did not order the closure of the British Council in Tehran, even though they didn't have a permit for their activities. An Iranian government spokesman said that the UK took the decision to shut the cultural wing of the British embassy.

An Iranian government spokesman said that the UK took the decision to shut the cultural wing of the British embassy.

He added the Council had not been operating within the protocols of the embassies' framework. And he said the Iranian parliament had been investigating the activities of the British Council, fearing it may have endangered Iran's security interests.

The British Council said on Thursday it has suspended work in Iran because of what it called intimidation by the authorities there. It said all its local staff had been summoned to the Iranian president's office in December and told to resign.

Editor:Yang Jie