The appointment of a nuclear negotiator, namely Hamid Baeidinejad, to lead Iran's diplomatic mission in London could help facilitate the implementation of last year's nuclear accord with world powers, a lawmaker said.
"The decision to appoint Baeidinejad as Iran's ambassador to Britain seems to have been influenced by considerations related to [the implementation of] the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," Mohammad Javad Jamali also told ICANA on Tuesday. He was using the formal title of the pact that went into force in January to grant Iran sanctions relief in exchange for time-bound constraints on its nuclear program.
"The government has chosen Baeidinejad to help better deal with the problems in the way of JCPOA's implementation and pursue other related issues."
Iran and Britain have upgraded bilateral diplomatic relations back to ambassador level five years after the storming of the British Embassy by Iranian protesters outraged over London's decision to intensify sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Following the incident, Britain withdrew its diplomatic staff from Tehran and asked Iran's mission to leave.
After the government of President Hassan Rouhani took office in 2013, the two sides launched diplomatic efforts to mend ties.
The British Embassy in Tehran reopened in August 2015 in a ceremony attended by then foreign secretary, Philip Hammond.
Hammond's visit to Iran was the first by a top British diplomat in 12 years.
Simultaneously, Iran reopened its embassy in London, but relations remained limited to the level of charge d'affaires.
Baeidinejad and British Ambassador to Iran Nicholas Hopton submitted their credentials on Monday. Baeidinejad has served as Foreign Ministry's political director and was a senior negotiator representing Iran in the talks with major powers that resulted in JCPOA.
