Deputy Foreign Minister for European and American Affairs Majid Takht-Ravanchi said after the reopening of the British Embassy in Tehran, diplomatic ties will remain at the level of charge d'affaires.
According to IRNA, Ravanchi stressed on Saturday that "after reopening of the embassies, non-resident charges d'affaires will stay on as resident charges d'affaires, but we don't want to replace persons."
He said, "British Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond will come to Iran tomorrow at the head of a political and economic delegation, and the British Embassy will be reopened in a simple ceremony in his presence."
Ravanchi said the reopening ceremony of the Iranian Embassy in London will be held with the presence of Deputy Foreign Minister for Administrative and Financial Affairs Mehdi Danesh Yazdi on the same day.
He said paying damages to Britain for the 2011 storming of its embassy is under consideration, noting that the process of assessing damages is time-consuming and two sides have not reached a compromise yet.
Tehran-London relations became tense in 2011 when the British Embassy was attacked by a group of angry protestors, following London's decision to impose sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran over Tehran's nuclear activities.
According to Ravanchi, Iran has made it clear that it will not accept preconditions for resuming diplomatic relations and Britain has agreed to prepare a detailed damage assessment report and present it to be reviewed by Iranian experts.
He added that right after the reopening, visa for diplomats and officials will be issued, and after some months, travel visas will also be issued by the mission.
Indian-origin diplomat Ajay Sharma will be in charge of the British Embassy and Mohammad Hassan Habibollahzadeh will head the Iranian mission.
Some foreign media have described the reopening of the UK mission as a major shift in the West's policy toward Iran following the nuclear agreement between Tehran and major powers in July 14.
