IRAN announced yesterday that it was removing 40 ambassadors from their posts abroad and indicated a further hardening of the regime’s policies by preparing a new phase in its nuclear programme.

A day after The Times revealed that senior envoys were being purged from Iran’s diplomatic service, Manoucher Mottaki, the Foreign Minister, told the parliament in Tehran that “the missions of more than 40 ambassadors and heads of Iranian diplomatic missions abroad will expire” by March 20. He described the drastic changes, affecting nearly half of Iran’s foreign posts, as normal and insisted that many envoys were close to retirement.

His assurances failed to silence critics, both in Iran and abroad, who insisted that key envoys were being dismissed because they were moderates closely identified with the reformist policies of previous administrations.

The Times has obtained a list of the missions in the diplomatic cull. They include London, Paris, Berlin, Beijing, Rome, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Delhi, Baghdad and the UN missions in Geneva and New York.

Among those being removed is Mohammad Hossein Adeli, the Ambassador to Britain. The US-educated career diplomat, has been in post for only a year. His removal, with that of his counterparts in Berlin, Paris and Geneva, was seen as the final blow to two years of mediation between Iran and Europe to reach a compromise over the country’s nuclear ambitions.

An even clearer signal is expected next week at Isfahan, the site of Iran’s uranium conversion plant. Iran has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that technicians are preparing a new “campaign” to begin conversion of uranium ore, the first stage in the nuclear fuel cycle.

Western nations fear that if Iran masters the process it could be diverted to produce highly enriched uranium, the essential component for an atomic bomb. The IAEA is to meet on November 24 to decide whether to refer Iran to the UN Security Council, where it faces the threat of sanctions.

Tony Blair told the Commons yesterday that there was no question of the West using force against Iran, but that its Government had to behave more responsibly. Britain is extremely concerned by evidence of Iranian support for militant groups in Iraq, its nuclear ambitions and the recent call by President Ahmadinejad for Israel to be “wiped off the map”.

Mr Blair said: “The Iranian Government has got to understand that the international community simply will not put up with their continued breach of the standards of behaviour that we expect from a member of the United Nations. Iran has to realise that the international community cannot tolerate continuing conduct that is supporting terrorism around the world, that is in breach of its nuclear weapons responsibilities and obligations under the atomic energy authority.”

The signals coming from Tehran are not encouraging. Earlier yesterday a small bomb exploded outside the offices of British Airways and BP in the Iranian capital, causing minor damage but no injuries. The British Embassy demanded a “thorough investigation”. No one has yet been arrested for an identical attack three months ago.

Outside the former US embassy, 10,000 demonstrators chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”. The protest, on the anniversary of the embassy’s seizure by militant students in 1979, is an annual event for hardliners, yet it is feared that the new leadership is intent on taking the country back to its revolutionary roots.

But the hardliners are facing growing opposition, even in parliament, which is dominated by conservatives. The President’s nominee to be oil minister, Sadeq Mahsouli, is said to be too inexperienced to run the all-important industry. “Presumably the amount of information that we have about him is about as much as he knows about oil,” said Mohsen Yahyavi, an MP who sits on the state oil company board.

SENT PACKING

London
Paris
Berlin
Beijing
Buenos Aires
Rome
Sofia
Prague
Ottawa
Kuala Lumpur
Jakarta
Seoul
Pyongyang
Delhi
Lahore
Kuwait
Amman
Muscat
Hong Kong
Dushanbe
Tokyo
Baghdad
Tunis
Caracas
Santiago
Singapore
Dublin
Berne
The UN missions in Geneva and New York

NEW REGIME

• June Mahmoud Ahmadinejad triumphs over Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in the presidential elections
  
  
• August President Ahmadinejad rejects EU compromise over Iran’s nuclear programme. The UN watchdog IAEA refers Iran to Security Council
  
  
• September Mr Ahmadinejad says in a UN speech that Iran has an “inalienable right” to produce nuclear fuel
  
  
• October Tony Blair accuses Iran of backing Iraqi insurgents; Mr Ahmadinejad calls for Israel to be “wiped off the map”

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