Iran, Britain to appoint diplomats within two weeks

Iran and Britain are reportedly set to announce a charge d'affaires to each other's country within two weeks in a bid to improve the bilateral ties that have been soured since 2011.

Britain had ordered closure of Iranian Embassy in London following closure of its own in Tehran after hundreds of angry Islamist students protested Western sanctions against Tehran over its disputed nuclear drive and ransacked the British Embassy in 2011.

However, after moderate cleric Hassan Rouhani was chosen as the Iranian president with a pledge to engage the world constructively, London and Tehran have been working toward restoring ties, The Japan Times reports.

The report said that currently Oman represents Iranian interests in Britain, while Sweden has represents Britain in Tehran.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague who met Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in New York last month said that Britain was open to more direct contact and further improvements in their bilateral relations with Iran.

He further said that both sides have agreed to appoint a nonresident charge d'affaires tasked with implementing the building of relations, including interim steps on the way towards the eventual reopening of both their embassies, the report added.